A lot, if you're a pharmaceutical company. They're trying to sell you prescription medicine, trying hard to win your business.
Pharmacuetical companies say the ads are informative.
But some patients say sometimes they aren't even sure what the ads are about. Industry representatives say they're just trying to meet your needs. Many doctors say its good patients want more information, good they seek it out in papers, on the news, and over the Internet, but say the responsibility of educating ultimately falls on the doctors' shoulders. The bad is if people are incorrectly influenced and may want medications that might not be appropriate for them. But others say the ads running on TV leave more questions than answers.