Aggressive Marketing

Pharmaceutical companies in this day and age, with so many drugs on the market, need to push their products through enticing advertisments that make people believe they need to use their product. The vast resources of these companies makes the pharmaceutical industry one of the most wealthy and powerful in the world. They often use this considerable leverage in getting their products approved by the FDA. For instance, Eli Lilly spent over $80 million pushing Prozac through the FDA approval process (Breggin, 1994). While so many drug advertisements are misleading and contain false claims, the FDA does not have the power to effectively monitor the truthfulness of these ads. Companies that create and sell antidepressant drugs have had their job made much easier with the growing acceptance of the prescription and consumption of antidepressants for mild depression. Pharmaceutical companies are in constant competition to promote their drug on the market and force it even more into mainstream American life.

Advertisments and marketing techniques that antidepressant drug companies use, include aggressive advertising campaigns focused directly to consumers:

Drug companies began aggressively promoting SSRIs in the late 1980s, first to healthcare providers and more recently directly to consumers. The pharmaceutical industry now spends more for advertising and promotion than it does on manufacturing and research. Almost overnight, Prozac became the biggest money-maker ever for Eli Lilly. Prozac costs many times more than drugs previously used for depression, further adding to Lilly's enormous profits (Tracy, 1994).

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In 2001, Eli Lilly began selling a product called Sarafem, a drug indicated for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Essentially, Sarafem is a repackaged, relabeled version of Prozac. The new pills are pink and lavender as opposed to the traditional green and white Prozac capsule. According to the drug's webite, "Sarafem helps you be more like the woman you are, every day of the month, even during your most difficult days." This is just one example of the pharmaceutical industry's attempt to convert symptoms of a normal existence into disease requiring treatment with their newest pills.

Look how good you can feel with Zoloft's help:

There are also many spoof advertisements and cartoons making fun of the antidepressant craze in America, showing just how public and wide-spread the phenomenon has been.