How Do We Really Choose Our Medications? And Do Those TV Commercials Actually Work? –

When you’re trying to determine the appropriate medication, it’s rarely a simple decision. You’re weighing what your doctor says against your own experiences, what you’ve read online, and a dozen other outside influences. It almost always starts with a health concern, not an ad. Most of us go to the doctor because of symptoms we’re having. In fact, FDA surveys indicate that the primary reason people see a clinician is their health, not something they saw on television.

By the time we reach that appointment, many of us have already conducted our own research on Google or WebMD. We walk in with some knowledge about our condition, possible treatments, and their side effects. Moreover, what we hear from friends, family, and even social media influencers is playing an increasingly significant role. One survey found that nearly two-thirds of American adults have seen drug ads on social media, and these often spark a conversation with a doctor.

So, before we even sit down in the exam room, we’re already forming opinions based on our diagnosis, symptoms, treatment goals, cost, and personal priorities.

Do All Those Drug Ads Actually Work?

The United States and New Zealand are unique in permitting prescription drug advertising on television and online. The money spent on this has skyrocketed from a few million to the billions of dollars today. So, what kind of impact does that have?

The data shows it definitely gets people talking. One major study found that approximately 30% of adults have asked their physician about a specific drug they saw advertised. Of those who asked, a surprising 44% received a prescription for it. Another survey found that while 32% of people who saw an ad talked to their doctor about the drug, 26% went a step further and specifically asked for it by name.

These numbers indicate that advertisements are effective at prompting questions, but they aren’t the primary reason most medications are prescribed. However, when patients request a specific brand, they are far more likely to receive it. Research on antidepressants, for example, showed that prescribing rates jumped significantly when a patient made a brand-specific request. It seems that when we ask, doctors often listen.

But Is the ‘Influenced’ Choice the Best?

This places physicians in a difficult position. Many feel these ads cause patients to ask for medications that aren’t appropriate for them, which can make appointments longer and more complicated. A striking 87% of clinicians in one survey said these ads lead to unsuitable requests, and 22% admitted they find it hard to say no.

Even when a doctor writes the prescription a patient requests, the patient often feels it isn’t the best possible option. This suggests that decisions made under marketing pressure aren’t always based solely on medical evidence. Social media is adding a new wrinkle. Doctors report that a majority of patients who bring up a drug they saw online end up being prescribed it, but there are still big questions about whether that’s the right long-term choice for their health.

So, What Really Decides the ‘Right’ Medication?

Ultimately, choosing a medication is a balancing act. The most important factors are your doctor’s clinical guidance based on your medical history, combined with your own personal priorities—what you want from treatment, what risks you’re willing to take, and what fits your lifestyle. Practical considerations such as cost and insurance coverage are also a considerable part of the puzzle, as are potential side effects. What you hear from others in your community or in an ad can be a starting point, but the decision should be a shared one between you and your provider.

The Big Picture

Those commercials and sponsored posts definitely play a role. They get drug names into our heads and can spark meaningful conversations. But they are just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The choice of a medication is still fundamentally based on your health needs, your doctor’s assessment, and a careful discussion about what’s effective, safe, and affordable for you. Good healthcare decisions should be a partnership, based on sound medicine, not just clever marketing.

I’m Richard Meyer — a healthcare marketing strategist and writer focused on the intersection of direct-to-consumer marketing, healthcare economics, and human behavior.I started Work of DTC Marketing because too much of the conversation around pharma and healthcare marketing is either overly promotional, overly technical, or completely disconnected from how the system actually works.Here, I write about what DTC really does, how incentives drive behavior inside healthcare organizations, why patients are often treated like revenue streams instead of people, and why “best practices” are frequently just recycled assumptions.My background spans digital marketing, public relations, and healthcare strategy, and my approach is pragmatic, skeptical of hype, and grounded in data and lived experience. I’m less interested in what sounds good in a deck and more interested in what actually changes outcomes — for companies, doctors, and especially patients.