My goal is to get at least 100,000 signatures in the hope that the Obama administration will put an end to the practice of pharmaceutical marketing, or at least severely limit it.
Right now, the United States is one of two countries that allows the direct-to-consumer marketing of pharmaceutical products. New Zealand is the other.
Pharmaceutical companies spend far more on marketing than research and development. In 2005, the industry spent over $30 billion in marketing efforts, far more than they spend on R&D. In addition, doctors are often given free samples of certain brand-name drugs, leading them to prescribe costly brand-name drugs over lower cost generics, which is harmful to consumers. Consumers should have access to unbiased medical information.