(Ready)RFK Jr.’s pharma ad ban: TV’s $6.9 billion question

Whether you’re streaming shows on Hulu or turning on cable TV to catch the news, you’re bound to encounter pharmaceutical advertisements that always end with a lengthy list of side effects.

Those ads always feature smiling, happy supposed customers oblivious to the side effect voice-over that usually lists “death” as one of issues they may face.

However, you’ll only see those ads if you live in the United States or New Zealand, because they’re the only countries that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise prescription drugs on TV — a practice that the U.S. adopted after FDA rule changes in 1997 and that New Zealand regulates under its Medicines Act.

Now, Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK Jr. aims to change that.

RFK argues that these commercials fuel overmedication and Big Pharma’s influence. Taking them down could disrupt the $6.9 billion pharma TV ad market — which could also disrupt television itself.

“I hate to have broadcast entities lose money,” Jeffy tells Pat Gray and Keith Malinak on “Pat Gray Unleashed.”

“They’re gonna have to make up that money somewhere, and then they’ll probably raise your subscription fees and kick employees to the curb,” Malinak says.

“I mean, look, that’s why you don’t have critical stories on national news, or any news networks,” he continues, “critical of the pharmaceutical industry or the COVID vax or any kind of issue. It’s because those newscasts are funded almost exclusively through pharmaceutical TV dollars.”

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