A hard-hitting campaign has been launched warning consumers of the dangers of buying medications illegally over the internet. The campaign by Viagra manufacturers Pzifer features a man taking an apparently ordinary pill, only to pull a rat’s tail out of his mouth, followed by the entire animal.
The advert had previously only been shown in cinemas, garnering a number of complaints which were dismissed by the Advertising Standards Agency. Now it will be shown on Channel Four, though it has been deemed so shocking it can only be shown after 11 p.m.
The campaign is being jointly funded by Pzifer, The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the MHRA, the Patient’s Association and Heart UK. As well as television adverys, there will also be a national billboard campaign running across the country during November.
In a survey it was discovered that 1 in 7 Britons were seeking to get medication over the internet without a prescripition, to avoid consulting a doctor. 78% of doctors said that the practice was putting people’s health at risk, particularly as most of the medication sold over the internet is counterfeit.
Online medication has taken off over the past ten years, as Britons find buying their medication over the internet more convenient. They also often are fooled into believing they are getting a bargain, as counterfeiters appear to offer genuine medications at amazing prices. A fifth said they bought medication online to save money, while 32% said they did so because it was quicker.