Ads for prescription drugs always include a long list of possible side effects. They may warn about such serious complications as heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage, liver failure or muscle pain and weakness. The reason drug companies tell us about adverse drug reactions in commercials is that the Food and Drug Administration requires it. Every prescription drug ad must be approved by the FDA to make sure it presents a balanced view of benefits versus risk.
When certain prescription drugs lose their patents, however, manufacturers sometimes seek to take them over the counter. The acid-suppressing drugs Prilosec and Prevacid, the weight loss pill Xenical (renamed Alli in its OTC form) and antihistamines such as Claritin and Zyrtec are all examples. Ads for over-the-counter medications are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission instead of the FDA. The FTC does not require the same degree of balance in OTC drug ads. As a result, the manufacturers have more leeway in promoting their products.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that commercials for nonprescription drugs mentioned side effects only 11 percent of the time. Medicines do not lose their side effects when they go OTC, but consumers may not realize what their dangers can be.
[Journal of the American Medical Association, online, Sept. 12, 2012]
