From: Wade Gray, M.D. [wahday@mcn.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 8:26 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: freedom of speech

Dear Sirs:
    As a Family Physician, I see the tremendous power wielded by drug
companies over citizens due to advertising.  I think we should place MORE
restriction on drug companies' right to advertise to patients, not less
restriction.  I have to spend several minutes per visit to correct the
misunderstandings patients have gotten from the media.  Other times, I don't
happen to find out about the misunderstandings in time, and I don't find out
that a patient is taking, say, over the counter anti-inflammatories until
the patient is in the intensive care unit with a life-threatening bleeding
ulcer caused by the medicine.   "Why didn't you tell me you were taking
that?"  "Well the ads said it was safer than Tylenol so I didn't think to go
see you."
    Oftentimes the ICU stay is being paid for by Medicare or Medicaid so the
taxpayers get stuck with the unneccessary bill to pay just because the
corporations wanted to make ads to increase profit.
    Corporations are not citizens.  They don't have citizens'
responsibilities so they shouldn't get citizen's rights.  This is your
chance to help stop the slide of the US government into complete corruption.
                                         Sincerely, Jennifer Kreger MD