The narrator discusses various comedic sketches from Saturday Night Live (SNL) that poke fun at direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, which is only allowed in the US and New Zealand. The sketches mock the over-the-top claims, celebrity endorsements, and long lists of potential side effects often featured in these ads. The narrator also shares personal anecdotes about patients requesting specific medications by brand name after seeing commercials, and how this can lead to problems for doctors who may not want to prescribe certain medications.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Diamonds can cut glass.
2. Only two countries in the world, the U.S. and New Zealand, allow direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising.
3. There are several SNL sketches that parody pharmaceutical advertising.
4. Testosterone levels decrease with age, affecting various aspects of a person's life.
5. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement (BHR) therapy can increase testosterone levels, but may also lead to aggressive behavior.
6. Some pharmaceutical commercials feature celebrity endorsers and show the "better version" of a person after using the product.
7. Commercials often list potential side effects, which can be overwhelming and confusing.
8. Dramamine is an antihistamine medication used to treat motion sickness and vertigo.
9. Taylor Swift's music can cause vertigo in some people, according to a parody commercial.
10. Chantix is a medication used to help people quit smoking.
11. Doctors may be afraid to not prescribe a medication due to fear of a patient leaving a negative review.
12. Medical review websites can be problematic, as doctors cannot respond to negative reviews due to patient privacy.
13. NuvaRing is a birth control method that is smooth and easy to insert, unlike the parody product NuvaBling.
14. Fiber is good for digestive health, but excessive fiber can cause abdominal distension.
15. Colon Blow is a parody product that is said to cause abdominal distension due to its high fiber content.