Pitching to the Public

Advertising psychotropic drugs on television has been phenomenally successful.

In just the first three years since TV advertising was permitted, sales skyrocketed by two hundred and fifty percent. With grosses hitting record levels, the drug industry is spending $2.9 billion a year in TV advertising alone. Gimmicks such as “patient advocacy groups” and intrusive “assessment tools” add to the client base.

Today, drug companies spend over $5.3 billion a year marketing prescription drugs—almost nine times more than a decade ago.

The result? Worldwide sales of psychotropic drugs have soared to $80 billion per year.

And all the while, psychiatrists willfully ignore the vast human tragedy they have created.