There are many direct-to-consumer advertisements for prescription drugs. On television, magazines, radio etc. you see the latest advertisements for prescription drugs. After some people see the advertisement, they immediately rush to their doctor and their illness and life would be perfectly free of pain and stress. Making the public aware of treatment options is not a bad thing. But these false advertisements mislead consumers into unnecessary treatments. Advertisements have one main purpose: to persuade. Prescription Drugs Advertisements tell consumers to get treatment and also imply that they need it to solve their problems. Since prescription ads were introduced, the pharmaceutical industry has grown dramatically. Drug makers are making more money than ever. The pharmaceutical industry uses the supply and demand industry. To get sales of a product, the pharmaceutical company or even the advertiser should create a demand in the market. No questions asked, or if no one needs the product, no sales will occur. In the headlines recently, many different types of drug companies have been cited for unethical discoveries within the company that have shocked the public. The two main companies are the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and the drug manufacturing company Merck. The FDA tests all drugs and authorizes their use by the general public. Merck and co is a drug manufacturing company based in Whitehouse, NJ Merck creates the drugs and has them tested by the FDA for approval. Merck is also the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Merck is best known for producing drugs such as Mr Clark's Singular for As...... middle of paper...... consists of cost cutting and layoffs and restructuring of the sales and marketing unit. The most radical change proposed by Clark will be to contain research costs and cut unproductive programs. He also plans to make the company more competitive and efficient, starting with the supply chain and production. (Times) In the course of my research I think that Merck is not to blame for misleading the public about the effects of the painkiller Vioxx. It is clear that Merck will be the only pharmaceutical company to pay the price for a mistake made within the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). The FDA is the one who approved Vioxx and put it on the market for use by the general public. Merck still can't be blamed, whatever comes out of the rest of the lawsuits; the company will still pay the price.