Drug company ads are easy to blame for misleading patients and raising costs, but research shows they do help patients get needed treatment

The United States is one of just two countries where drugmakers can advertise directly to patients. BrianAJackson/iStock via Getty Images

It’s a familiar experience for many Americans: You’re watching your favorite show and suddenly you’re ambushed by an ad for a drug whose name sounds like a Wi-Fi password, before a relentlessly cheerful voice tells you to “Ask your doctor” and then blasts through a side-effect list that’s laughably long.

But that might soon change. After nearly 30 years of giving pharmaceutical companies free rein to advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers, U.S. officials are now seeking to curb this practice.