Prescription medication can be the key to a patient"s successful recovery or ability to live comfortably despite a medical condition or chronic illness. Pharmaceuticals are also big money, and like any company with a product to sell, the companies that manufacture medication want people to buy them. .

             For many years, prescription medication was marketed directly to medical practitioners alone, and it was the doctor"s place to discuss available medications with patients. However, in recent years prescription medication started being marketed directly to consumers through print ads, television commercials, and radio commercials. This direct-to-consumer advertising is considered to be a powerful tool for the companies that produce them, and many are convinced that they are a helpful service for patients who wish to be informed about their options and be active in their own treatment. However, others are skeptical that direct-to-consumer advertisements for prescription medications may hinder effective health care in several ways, including reducing doctor-patient communication. Commercials for products like Claritin, Viagra, Celebrex, and Prilosec are all over the media, convincing viewers that buying these medications are the only chance they have for survival. The FDA has specific guidelines for the advertisements for prescription medication that are intended to insure accurate information that is not misleading to consumers, however commercials are inevitably designed to try to convince people to buy the product. no matter what. Two radio commercials for prescription medications were analyzed for their adherence to FDA guidelines, marketing techniques, failings, and overall message of the advertisement.

             The first advertisement observed was for Allegra D, a prescription medication intended to treat allergy symptoms. The commercial was very simple, with just a single voice announcer, void of any background sound effects or soundtrack.