Foradora 1

Joseph Foradora

Dr. Kate Rosenberg

English 137h

11/21/22

Modernization of Medicine

The notion of being conscious about health is everywhere; it always has been. In nature,

the healthiest animals produce offspring; the healthiest offspring get to live and continue the

cycle of life. This has been happening for as long as there has been life on Earth in all shapes of

life. However, humans are the only form of "intelligent" life on Earth, capable of complex

thoughts and emotions. I (also a human) have only been around for 18 years to see how

medicine and society's understanding of health has changed, so research on the history of

western medicine was needed. The origins of western medicine date back to ancient Greece,

where they studied the human body using bodily fluids- blood, black and yellow bile, and

phlegm (Eastern vs. Western Medicine). Of course, many practices have changed since ancient

times, but the core values of inquiry and scientific reasoning have remained the same.

One development that has recently taken place is the transfer of power from the doctor to

the patient. Only about a century ago, doctors were trusted to have full responsibility for a

patient and had all the power over what treatment would be prescribed. Today, patients have the

ability to take control of their health care. The healthcare field, as a whole, has become much

better at recognizing the differences between patients' values and what may change with them

(Krist, et al.). The individualistic ideologies behind today's medical system have helped the field

become more diversified and welcoming. Taking a long step back in history, informed consent
 Foradora 2

was not required by law until 1914 (Informed Consent, Past and Present). Informed consent is

the way in which healthcare providers must talk to a patient about the benefits, risks, and other

relevant topics regarding treatments, and the healthcare provider must receive a consensual

agreement in good faith from the patient (Paterick et al.). Informed consent is in place for a good

reason: to protect the patient. Nobody knows a person's body better than the person themselves,

and that person should be given the last call on what should be done to their body. This has

become an objective truth in healthcare, one that has saved countless lives.

Pharmaceutical advertisements have become an integral part of our television, streaming

services, and all other forms of media that we consume. Nearly every commercial break features

pharmaceutical drugs such as Cialis, Eliquis, Humira, and countless others (Fierce Pharma).

However, this is a recent development in our society. Before the 1990's drug advertisements

were only targeted toward doctors, pharmaceutical company representatives would be sent to

hospitals to gain clients, or doctors would choose what brand they would use, and they would

stick with them. In 1987 advertisements to the public were legalized with the Prescription Drug

Advertising Act, but they were not often utilized. Companies stuck with what worked in the

past, and there were so many new rules and stipulations involved with public advertising that it

was just not worth it. Then, in 1997, federal law loosened its constraints on public

pharmaceutical advertising, and television commercials started to appear (Center for Drug

Evaluation and Research). The use of direct-to-consumer drug advertising was justified by the

notion that these advertisements would inform people with undiagnosed diseases of possible

treatments and therapies for whatever they may have been struggling with. Of course, like any

other legislation to ever be passed, direct-to-consumer advertisements have been at the center of

many controversies and disagreements. Studies have shown that prescription drug
 Foradora 3

advertisements have influenced the way that doctors diagnose patients. Patients that go into a

medical office and mention that they had seen an advertisement for a particular drug on

television are much more likely to receive a prescription (upwards of 60%) than those who only

report symptoms that would qualify them for the drug (Sinkinson et al.). This piece of

information has been used in articles both supporting direct-to-consumer advertising and articles

against it. Simply put, it has both its upsides and downsides. Direct-to-consumer advertising has

informed millions of people about treatment that they may not have known possible or attainable

and have given people the opportunity to be healthier or feel more confident in their own body.

Even if a patient visits the doctor pursuing a prescription for a drug that they saw on television

and is not successful in attaining the drug, the interaction with the advertisement is still a positive

one. No matter the situation, staying in touch with the doctor and the health of the body is

always good, and the more doctor visits, the better.

I am sure everyone who reads this essay is familiar with the Coronavirus. The disease is

transmitted through a virus, not bacteria; therefore, antibiotics are ineffective in killing or

stopping the transmission. Apart from social distancing and isolation, the best way to stop a

virus is by introducing a vaccine. Thankfully, a vaccine was created to help with the

Coronavirus, and it proved to be effective. But then again, like anything in society today, this

vaccine was made political and caused division among people around the world. This is not a

scientific paper, so the vaccine will not be discussed in a way that involves morals and molecular

explanations. There is an objective truth that comes from the discussion of the vaccine. The

vaccine injects (figuratively and literally) healthcare into the public sector. Flooding the media

with information about vaccines may not change a person's perspective on vaccination.
 Foradora 4

However, it has opened the door for conversation about the importance of the presence of

healthcare for all (Healthcare Ready).

Another way that healthcare has evolved over the years is how the perception of

disabilities, mainly neurological disabilities, has changed. In 1997, the same year that direct-to-

consumer prescription advertising was legalized, DSM-III (the criteria to diagnose autism) was

expanded with a wider spectrum, and people could be diagnosed for a more extended period of

time (Zeldovich). By nature, this led to an increase in people with diagnosed autism. Some

people blamed this phenomenon on the increase in pharmaceutical advertising, creating an ever-

long conspiracy theory that advanced medications caused neurological defects. This happened

again in 2013. Asperger syndrome and several other syndromes were all grouped into the autism

category. This simple reclassification showed a major spike in autism rates, which led to the

repeating debate that modern drugs cause autism (Autism Speaks). Again, this is obviously not

true; new classifications for autism only give the appearance of increasing rates. Thankfully,

autism awareness is spreading throughout the world, and people have become more accepting of

people with autism and similar conditions.

Healthcare is obviously an important part of society, taking care of our sick and injured.

Advancements in technology have let the human race be healthier than ever before and live

longer than at any other time previously in history. However, the overall well-being of the

human population is not the only thing that has evolved along with the healthcare system.

Society's acceptance and understanding of people with disabilities have gotten much better.

Also, it is evident that the healthcare sector has protruded into the political sector even more

pronounced than in previous years, with federal regulations and legislation being enforced. This

is not bad; legislation is put in place to keep people safe, but we have had to work with the
 Foradora 5

politicization of healthcare. It is also clear that drug prescriptions and similar treatments have

become commercialized along with other monetary goods in society in the age of advertising and

investing.
 Foradora 6

Works Cited

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Background on Drug Advertising.” U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, FDA, 19 June 2015, https://www.fda.gov/drugs/prescription-drug-
advertising/background-drug-advertising.

“Eastern vs. Western Medicine: Two Schools of Thought Explained: Live Better.” Medibank
Live Better, Medibank Live Better, 20 Feb. 2019,
https://www.medibank.com.au/livebetter/health-brief/health-insights/the-origins-of-
western-and-eastern-medicine/.

“Informed Consent: Past and Present.” Perspectives in Clinical Research, U.S. National Library
of Medicine, Jan. 2013,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3601698/#:~:text=In%201914%20in
%20US%2C%20for,favor%20of%20a%20competent%20Mrs.

Krist, Alex H, et al. “Engaging Patients in Decision-Making and Behavior Change to Promote
Prevention.” Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, U.S. National Library of
Medicine, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6996004/.

Paterick, Timothy J., et al. “Medical Informed Consent: General Considerations for Physicians.”
Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Elsevier, 1 Mar. 2008,
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)60864-1/fulltext.

Sinkinson, Amanda Starc and Michael, et al. “Could Drug Ads Have Positive Side Effects?”
Econofact, 20 Feb. 2018, https://econofact.org/could-drug-ads-have-positive-side-effects.

“The Top 10 Most-Advertised Prescription Drug Brands.” Fierce Pharma, 15 June 2015,
https://www.fiercepharma.com/special-report/top-10-most-advertised-prescription-drug-
brands.

“Vaccine Conversations in the Time of Covid-19.” Healthcare Ready, Vaxx Chats, Healthcare
Ready, https://healthcareready.org/covid19/vaccines/vaxxchats/.

“What Is Asperger Syndrome?” What Is Asperger Syndrome, Autism Speaks, 2022,

Zeldovich, Lina. “The Evolution of 'Autism' as a Diagnosis, Explained.” Spectrum, 14 Sept.