LETTERS, COMMENTS, AND CORRECTIONS Psychotropic Drug Advertisements

Some estimates indicate that one third of the adult popu-lation has prescriptions for such drugs. The medical and social implications of such widespread usage of mind-altering medications need to be understood. It is time for a discussion of the role of physicians, medical journals, and drug companies in the promotion and mass distribu-tion of psychotropic agents. Advertisements for tranquilizers, antidepressants, or sleeping pills appear in 19 out of 117 drug promotion pages in the March 1971 ANNALS. Yet, despite this large volume, it is remarkable how few articles in the ANNALS and similar journals deal with the proper medical use of these drugs. Most prescriptions are written by family physicians and internists who read only the general med-ical literature. They must rely on your advertisements fo