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Drugmakers face direct-to-consumer ad ban

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American Medical Association (AMA)
pharmaceutical companies
Pfizer
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
drugs
Vioxx

A new bill being considered by Congress would ban pharmaceutical companies from advertising new drugs for two years after they hit the market. Legislators have said they want to make sure drugs are safe before the pharmas begin aggressive marketing. Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Michael Enzi (R-WY) began working on the measure in 2004 after the Vioxx debacle. The new bill would expand the FDA's powers over drug launches, including a provision allowing it to impose the new ban. Pharmas would scream bloody murder if they're forced to stop direct-to-consumer ads for launches, as they've had a lot of success with promoting drugs in television, print and Internet advertising. They spent nearly $5 billion on direct-to-consumer advertising during 2006 alone, according to Nielsen Medical Research. Meanwhile, in an attempt to stave off such regulations, drug company trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has issued voluntary guidelines members can follow when promoting drugs. Also, drugmakers like Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb have decided to stop advertising drugs for up to 12 months after they're launched.

To learn more about the proposed regs:
- read this article from The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)

ALSO: Many consumers believe that direct-to-consumer pharma advertising influences their behavior. Release

Related Articles:
AMA to study the impact of drug advertising. Report
Pfizer restructures DTC drug advertising campaigns. Report
Bristol-Myers tailors drug campaigns. Report
Frist to seek moratorium on new drug advertising. Report

Comments

Can't do CME, can't do DTC, can't put food on the table or a roof over our heads. What the heck is the matter with people. Hmmm, aren't there some senators whose very lives are being saved or extended by the drugs they take? OK, let's all go back to snake oil.

Why did doctors attend medical school? Not to have a patient ask `is this or that drug is right for me'? My doctor diagnoses my problem and prescribes the appropriate drug, thank you. I certainly would not insult his intelligence by asking such a question. Drug companies need to educate prescribing physicians and pharmacies about the appropriateness of a drug. TV ads are not cheap! It's easy to see why drugs are exhorbitant in price. TV programming is so bad, I rarely watch anymore, therefore, ads are wasted on people such as myself.

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