The principles that govern medicine in some countries discourage all forms of advertisements that aim at promoting medical services.

·         What is the rationale behind this?

·         Do you think such advertising in any way help people?

Medical ethics differ from country to country and medical advertisements are not welcome in some places. This essay is an attempt to see why the case is so, and to prove that such advertising can do a few favours for the public.

Let me see why some nations say no to medical advertisements. The first thing I find is that some unscrupulous medical service providers may hoodwink the not-so-informed people by running advertising campaigns with misleading information. For example, some incurable diseases may get projected as curable, and victims of such diseases may get exploited.

Secondly, it is not fair for any practitioner to claim that a medical condition can be completely cured off. This is primarily because all medicines do have differing effects on different patients. Let me take an example to make it clearer. There is no medicine with a set of effects or side effects that are uniform for all the patients. Here as well, medical advertising may mislead people resulting in medication without the projected results.  

All these potential reasoning notwithstanding, I think medical advertising can help people in a way or two. For example, when a particular treatment is advertised, people may get to know where it is available and how affordable it is. Secondly, in all medical regimes, going for a second opinion is a common practice. To exemplify, there are cases where more accurate diagnoses have been possible, and many patients have got right treatments upon a second opinion, might be thanks to a response to a medical advertising.

In short, it is not without reason some nations say ‘no’ to medical advertising. The reasoning apart, there are cases where medical promotion exercises are of help. I have proved it with evidences and examples.  In my view, selective advertising may be allowed.

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Ajaypeesdoc. 13.2.13. 5 am