The internet is aflame with reactions to Oprah Winfrey's fiery interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry after the couple spoke out against the British press and the royal family.

But those watching the interview from the U.K. were shocked to see the avalanche of pharmaceutical advertisements Americans have to sit through during TV shows and live events.

British viewers got a glimpse of what the ads are like for Americans and sounded off on the topic on Twitter, sharing their horror about the way Americans are given information about different drugs. 

Journalist Ayesha Siddiqi shared an entire thread of responses from those who were disgusted and terrified by the ads.

Pharmaceutical advertisements are only legal in two countries, the United States and New Zealand, whereas almost every other country has banned them due to ethical and financial concerns. Criticisms from doctors and healthcare workers routinely center on the idea that the ads promote medicines that may not be necessary for some among a host of other issues related to the billions of dollars that go toward the ads instead of medical research.

Others believe the advertisements treat those seeking help like customers instead of patients.

Pharmaceutical companies began launching ads for drugs in the 1970s but faced a backlash from the FDA and were officially banned in 1983, according to STAT News. The ban was later partially lifted as long as companies included side effects and other notifications.

Claritin managed to find a loophole in the FDA rules and began running ads without side effect notices in the early 1990s.

The FDA then gave pharmaceutical companies even more leeway by allowing them to simply tell viewers where they can find more information about the drug, and by 1998 drug companies were spending billions on advertisements, according to Ad Age.

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