Congress Wants Curbs on TV Prescription-Drug Commercials
May 19th, 2008 • Posted in: NewsOne congressman says the ads cross ethical lines
WASHINGTON
Television ads for prescription drugs have crossed ethical lines and enforcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been lax, a U.S. congressman charged last week.
According to a report from UPI, Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak, head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which plans a review of the ads, claimed that regulators had allowed Johnson & Johnson to promote a drug called Procrit for fighting fatigue, even though the drug is not formally approved for such use, reports UPI.
During a hearing about drug advertising, the lawmakers pushed for rougher regulations, claiming that some of the ads are deceptive and leave consumers confused about effects and side effects, according to a report from TIME magazine.
In a separate hearing last week, the FDA proposed that direct-to-consumer drug ads on TV should include a toll-free number that would allow consumers to report adverse side effects, reports the Washington Post.
The FDA made the proposal after some prodding by Congress, saying it will take about two years for the agency to study the effects of adding a toll-free number. Among the concerns: FDA officials say a toll-free number might encourage people to call the FDA instead of a doctor when they experience a problem.
The Dow Jones News Service provides some background on the issue: “Direct-to-consumer drug marketing brings in billions of dollars in sales for drug makers and for the television industry. In 1997, the government relaxed rules on TV and radio ads, allowing drug makers to shorten the warnings on side effects in their commercials; since then, pharmaceutical makers have spent about $14 billion on broadcast and cable TV ads for prescription drugs.”
“Merck and Schering-Plough have been criticized for heavily promoting the cholesterol drug Vytorin while failing to disclose a study that raised questions about the drug’s effectiveness,” the report notes. “Pfizer has been criticized for including Dr. Robert Jarvik in its ads for Lipitor, an anti-cholesterol drug. Jarvik is not a practicing medical doctor.”
Sources: TIME, May 16 — Washington Post, May 16 — UPI, May 16 — Dow Jones, May 16.
For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Apr. 21 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 21 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 7 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 31 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 17.
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