Second Opinion

It probably hasn’t been too long since you watched a slick commercial hawking the benefits of a prescription drug. Consumers have been treated to a steady diet of these ads since the Food and Drug Administration relaxed its rules in 1997.

Meanwhile, the growing cost of such medicines has many people—particular senior citizens—bitterly complaining to any politician who’s willing to listen.

After seemingly pondering the matter for about as long as it takes a Claritin commercial to race across the screen, some lawmakers have concluded that the ads are what’s driving up the price of healthcare.