What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Prescription Drug Advertising?

I personally feel that there are reasons why a patient should know what drugs are on the market that may apply to them. The reason for this is because doctors are sometimes lazy to look at new products and they prescribe old worn out remedies and do not try the new ones, or when they do they have to be sold the idea by a sales representative of the drug company themselves. But advertising to patients actually gives the patient the role of the sales person instead, and sells the product to the doctors' options of treatments, as well as may benefit the patient. On the negative side, advertising to patients is dangerous in my view because patients may not be fully aware of what is appropriate for them. They may be misunderstanding of the information of side effects and dismiss them, when they see happy faces on the television screen. This could create a conflict in the doctor and patient relationship. I have, without advertising, given indications to physicians of my preferences based on past treatments, but have not yet made any decisions based on advertising. But one must also be aware that the proliferation of birth control pills in the nation are due to the advertising of them. There are less chemically invasive methods to prevent pregnancies.