Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical marketing has been proven to have a strong impact on patient behavior, often leading to doctor visits based on advertised symptoms and requests for medication shown as a "quick fix". Not only does this method of treatment bypass alternative therapeutic options that doctors are trained to administer, but it also allows pharmaceutical corporations to capitalize on patented and/or brand name drugs that may not be in the patients best interest. By banning television advertisements, the people with true medical issues will seek assistance from a doctor rather than people seeking a drug based on symptoms they saw in an ad.
http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=sp...