If you watch TV, you may have seen the new Risperdal ad – if not, it’s probably not long until you do (follow the link below if you want to see it). The ad first played on Sunday 12-May-13 on Channel 4 at 9:10 pm during The Rules of Engagement and will air on both TV 3 and Channel 4 until the 16th of June. This ad markets a long-acting, injectable form of antipsychotic medication direct to consumers, without presenting full information on the risks involved or alternative options. New Zealand is one of only two Western countries in the world that allow this kind of advertising for pharmaceuticals (the other being the US).
At Engage Aotearoa we hope that those who watch this ad aren’t left with a sense that recovery is only about ‘remembering to take medication’. This seems to downplay our role as people responding to our experiences. Choosing to take medication is by all means a valid choice and an important part of many people’s recovery. Medication can be useful in lots of ways. We think choices about medication should be made as freely as possible, based on a discussion with a fully informed clinician who presents a range of options, without the influence of marketing techniques. Some people see advertisements as a form of information about recovery options and have no issue about advertising antipsychotic medication on television.
Whether you are for it or against it, as TV ads for psych meds are becoming more common, it seems timely for our community to start openly discussing the issue of TV advertising for mental-health medications and raising any concerns with the relevant bodies to ensure that it is done as well as possible.
Watch the ad that has been playing on TV here. If you have concerns about marketing techniques being used to sell antipsychotic medication, contact the Advertising Standards Authority here. One might argue that the Risperdal ad violates Requirement 2 (A – ii) of the Therapeutic Products Advertising Code regarding appropriate warning of known serious adverse effects.
How do you think information about antipsychotic and antidepressant medication would best be shared?
