Pharmaceutical advertisements raise awareness of conditions and diseases that often go undiagnosed and untreated. Further, such advertising can raise awareness that treatments are available to populations that have traditionally been undertreated. According to the American Diabetes Association, for example, there are 8 million Americans with diabetes who don't know they have the disease. One third of the people with major depression seek no treatment and millions of Americans are estimated to have high blood pressure and don't know about it. Consumers are actively seeking information about their health and about medicines.
Pharmaceutical companies are a prime source of such information.
Patients have the right to ask for information about the treatments available, and the companies that develop those treatments have a right to communicate information about these problems and about health problems to patients.