Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5530

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Weber J, Carey J.
Drug ads: A prescription for controversy
Business Week 1993 Jan 1858-59

Abstract:

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is becoming more common but both advocates and critics of the issue are upset with the Food and Drug Administration’s criteria for the ads. Both groups don’t like the requirement for a “brief summary” of the drug’s risks, benefits and uses. Critics say that it could let a drugmaker bury vital information about it’s product’s dangers in information no one reads; drug companies say that it hampers their efforts to reach consumers by adding to marketing costs. Plans by the FDA to issue new guidelines are on hold and there is no consensus on how to improve the regulation of DTCA.

Keywords:
*news story/United States/DTCA/direct-to-consumer advertising/Food and Drug Administration/FDA/regulation of promotion/ fair balance(brief summary)/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: CONSUMERS/PATIENTS/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: INDUSTRY/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: DIRECT GOVERNMENT REGULATION