Ask your doctor about …..?
You can replace the five dots with almost any drug and yet find the question to be as interesting as ever before. The question hit me when I was watching television, and the commercial popped up requesting me to ask my doctor. At first, the following questions kept my mind engaged, as I did not understand what the commercial was really selling.
1) Did the commercial want me to pursue the firms product?
2) Was the commercial intended to test the doctor’ knowledge about the drug
3) Should I pop the question about the commercial even if I am visiting my doctor for something that is totally not related to the advertised drug?
4) Should I tell the doctor that I prefer drug A I saw on the commercial in place of the drug B that the doctor was recommending?
I was speechless for a moment and I started to hibernate.
Upon recovering myself, I gathered my thoughts and here I am sharing my thoughts with you.
My understanding is that the commercial is very healthy and wants us consumers to be more powerful by engaging our doctor. We can engage our doctor to be on the same page, and if possible on the same paragraph, by simply asking more questions. We can identify if the drug being advertised has any risks or side effects that cannot be shared on public television or if insurance will cover the drug if we have not taken a generic drug for the same therapeutic class earlier.
With the cost of visiting a doctor increasing incrementally on a daily basis, we could maximize our time with the Doctor. We could perhaps create a checklist to help us in our journey. However; before we pop the million-dollar question, we may want to have our ducks in a row, and prepare answers to the following questions at a minimal, as I am sure that the doctor will deploy counter-intelligence techniques and hit you with a wall of questions.
the current prescription drugs we are consuming.
the current non-prescription drugs we are consuming.
the current diet pattern we practice
the current stress level we experience
the current mood we exhibit
The key to asking your doctor questions may depend on factors like how well you know your doctor, how well the doctor knows you, if you have an existing medical condition that the doctor is not aware of, if the doctor has an external medical condition that you are not aware of,etc… among several commonly known factors that influence the popularity of a drug.
The next time you see the commercial; remember that the advertisement is not selling you the drug. The advertisement is trying to help you as a consumer become more powerful by engaging the doctor by asking more questions.
The question that remains is,”Are you ready to ask your doctor ”?
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