Pharmeceutical Ads

So.... my husband and I love to laugh at all of the pharmaceutical ads on t.v. I mean there are ads for allergy medications that promise they will help alleviate your allergy symptoms and then in the last few seconds of the commercial will add the disclaimer of the possible side effects, which not only include symptoms similar to allergies such as watery eyes, but also other bothersome effects such as permanent liver damage. Who are these companies advertising to? The answer is of course, the general public who have the ailments which their drugs promise to treat. So why market to the general public when doctors are still responsible for prescribing these medications? The problem is that patients then ask their doctors to prescribe these medications based on some glorified television ads, when that medication may not be the best one for their particular situation. I don't believe that public advertising should be allowed for prescription medications. Doctors are responsible for prescribing the right medications for individual patients and they hopefully make their decision based on their proven effectiveness and safety.