It prompts them to go and see their doctors about a medical condition they may have not previously discussed. That leads to a more informed discussion with their physician. And ultimately, she adds, prescription drugs are the doctor's decision. The doctor knows the patient's history and is best equipped to prescribe what is best for the patient. Levit, however, maintains that profit has to be behind pharmaceutical advertising.
Drug development is time-consuming, risky and expensive.
What To Do To read more on health-care spending, check out the full text of Levit's report and other offerings from the current issue of Health Affairs . D.C. Or, you might want to read previous HealthScout articles on health care costs .