Drug advertising: the right or wrong prescription for our ailments?

As the cost of health care--particularly prescription drugs--is rising at a rate that has not been seen in a decade, the United States finds itself once again searching for new solutions to what has, until now, been an intractable problem. Drug advertising, which has almost become part of the social fabric in the United States, is an appealing and visible target. Critics point to pharmaceutical companies boosting profits by pitching pills, whereas advocates talk of empowering patients with information. With a topic that is so dominated by money and politics, it is sometimes hard to tell who is correct.