Drug Ads for Doctors Don’t Follow Rules

It is hard to turn on the television or open a popular magazine without encountering ads for prescription drugs. This is also true for doctors reading medical journals. A study of 192 such advertisements aimed at health care professionals found that fewer than one in five actually followed FDA guidelines. These print promotions had adequate disclosure of serious risks, including death, less than half the time.
The study is the first one in two decades to examine how well pharmaceutical firms follow FDA’s rules on advertising. It is discouraging to learn that these rules are not being enforced, especially given that this type of advertising in medical journals appears to be the most profitable way to market prescription medications. The authors conclude that FDA’s Division of Drug Marketing and Advertising is understaffed and unable to enforce existing regulations. Increased transparency as well as more enforcement capability might improve the quality of information available in such ads.

[PLoS One, online August 17, 2011]