Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for October 07, 2018

I like the line “Don’t take this medication if you are allergic to it.”

Fortunately I have never experienced any side effects. Has anybody reading this comic had any?

“You know we have more prescription drugs now.Every commercial that comes on TV is a prescription drug ad.I can’t watch TV for four minutes without thinking I have five serious diseases.Like: “Do you ever wake up tired in the morning?”Oh my god I have this, write this down. Whatever it is, I have it. Half the time I don’t even know what the commercial is…People running in fields or flying kites or swimming in the ocean.I’m like that is the greatest disease ever. How do you get that?That disease comes with a hot chick and a puppy."

Don’t take any “medicine” that needs a commercial!

…or conniption fits, x-ray vision, hives, invisibility, schizophrenia, bunions, ingrown toenails, scabies, ringworm, mange…

Take it back or give it up?

Hey Doc, can I get some of that sousaphone?

Was I the only one expecting a Dean Martin punchline?

The US and New Zealand are the only two countries that allow ads for prescription drugs. The fact that prescription drug prices in those two countries are through the roof is an interesting coincidence.

“Are you feeling tired? Have your nose, fingers and toes fallen off? It could be Hansen’s disease. Ask your doctor about LeprosyBeGone™”. Side effects include irritability, spontaneous combustion, and sudden death.

There are only two countries in the world where it is legal to advertise prescription drugs on television. The other one is New Zealand. The drug companies sued the government to allow them to advertise. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court who ruled 9-0 to allow the commercials. The reason? That lousy First Amendment.

Apparently so! :o(

Side effect symptoms can be mitigated, but when they get to ‘anal leakage’….I’m gone!

I once saw a commercial for a certain medication and asked my GP about it. Turned out I had been on it in the past and had reactions they never mentioned!

(This is NOT something I normally do, BTW. A commercial is no substitute for umpteen years of medical training.)

At least it’s better than that medication commercial with the animated old age wolf – “Watch out, piggies!”

Years ago at a conference, a friend took 45 minutes to list all possible side effects. Totally deadpan. It had people rolling in the aisle.

Ever notice that the side effects are worse than the problem? Suicide as a side effect, however, will certainly permanently end the problem.

Had to read that 2x – first time I thought it said “Susanswerphone”.

They don’t have these kinds of commercials in other countries so why do we have them here? But then, all the other civilized countries have Universal Health Care.

That is not a real drug name. It has no Q X or Z in it.

Side effect— Fatal Events.

And there’s the caveat “Stop taking this drug if death occurs.”

A long time ago Carlin the Great said the same things, “The side effects are worse than the disease!!”

We don’t have these ad’s in Canada, or HMOs. Not the best system around but designed to be fair to all.

I see those commercials and think, “How bad is my life that people suffering chronic illnesses are more active and interesting than me…”

Not all that long ago, by my reckoning, they did away with cigarette and booze commercials because they were thought to encourage addiction… they did, but that isn’t my point. My point is… why are the drug commercials now allowed when they definitely encouraging similar addictions? Yes, that’s a rhetorical question, I actually do know why, but do others?

And I really do miss the beer commercials. A lot of them were actually very entertaining. The Rainier beer commercials (when I lived in the Pacific Northwest) were especially entertaining and there were a few other companies that were almost as good. Well anyway, I thought they were pretty funny (see https://www.youtube.com/user/rainierbeertv if you’re curious). One of my favorites was this one — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qXa9oqKL6E — because of the switch from relatively outrageous to fairly subtle (for them 8^)

@Some idiot on the internet – You never had the urge to row down a river with two friends and a dog, have you? :)

If you want a real eye opener, write down the names of all the drugs that are advertised during the CBS Evening News and then look up the drug prices on goodrx.com.

All those side effects from a Sousaphone? I’ll have to let my high school marching band know about that.

But right now I can’t wait ’til the November election is past, so we can get back to these entertaining drug ads! So tired of the political lies.

They only advertise drugs whose maladies can be describe by a “TLA.” [Three Letter Acronym]The folks that fall for those ads can’t remember the actual name of their [imagined] maladies.

Another good reason we have no TV in our home. Law suits against everything also!!

Don’t forget—Don’t take Susafon if you are allergic to Susafon!

We live in a very litigious society and this is the price we pay for that…

Ask your doctor if Effitol is right for you.

A man will not hesitate to take that drug. With a “damn The side effects” attitude. However, if one of the potential side effects is erectile dysfunction, then the answer is a quick “ah, Hell NO” I ain’t taking that.