Can music in drug ads be anti-consumer?

The music played during drug ads sounds pleasant, but the intended effect may not be so innocuous. Advocacy groups say dulcet tones can blur viewers' understanding of the required list of potential side effects — distracting consumers from absorbing their gravity.

Now two advocacy organizations are asking the FDA to ban the use of music during the risks section of pharmaceutical advertisements, STAT’s Ed Silverman writes. A citizen’s petition says that “attention-getting music” can be distracting, and points to studies that show it can lead to information overload for viewers.

“This leads to viewers comprehending the benefits better than the risks and results in an unfair, highly positive view of advertised prescription drugs,” the advocacy groups write.