You've seen the commercials. A man who's feeling down takes a pill and is suddenly transformed into his old cheery self. A woman runs through a meadow of flowers thanks to her new allergy medicine. These sorts of ads for prescription medications have become an inevitable hazard of watching television.

And they work. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, one in eight Americans has received a specific prescription in response to seeing a drug ad. There's no question that this is a coup for drug companies, but is there a downside for patients' Maybe.

Five years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relaxed its standards governing such advertisements. In response, pharmaceutical companies have unleashed a relentless barrage of ads on the American consumer. In 2002 alone, the drug industry spent upwards of $1 billion peddling its wares to television viewers. In 2000, Merck spent more money promoting a single arthritis drug, Vioxx, than PepsiCo spent on ads for Pepsi.

To protect consumers, the FDA does require drug manufacturers to divulge information about side effects and list a telephone number consumers can call for more information. Most drug ads follow these rules. But their method for squeezing this information in is questionable, at best. Most often, word of side effects is accompanied by a stunning visual image that distracts you. What's worse is that most of these commercials divulge only the most common and least significant side effects. Only the most vigilant consumers will ever likely know the full range of side effects associated with various drugs.

Does this mean you should disregard all drug ads? Not necessarily, but there are several things you can do to make sure you are making an informed decision and not simply being swayed by advertising hype:

*Ask your doctor and pharmacist how the drug will interact with the other medications you are taking.

*Do your own research - check medical reference guides, search the Internet and check research at your local library.

*If you do decide to take a drug, be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of possible side effects, even things that might not be listed as potential side effects of a particular medication.

*Immediately alert your doctor to any possible side effects you may be experiencing.