In a New York Times op-ed, Marty Makary MD, head of the Food and Drug Administration, explains the dangers of drug company advertisements. In short, they are misleading and harming millions of Americans.
As it is, the FDA has a regulation that prohibits misleading drug advertising. The FDA also requires drug companies to show the pros and cons of a drug in a balanced fashion. However, today, drug ads are designed to delude people into believing that drugs have magical powers.
Americans see the pharmaceutical ads and seek out prescriptions from their physicians, even when drugs will do more harm than good for them. Physicians have various incentives to write these prescriptions; in some cases, the pharmaceutical companies reward them with trips and honoraria.
Makary calls out the FDA for not sending out “warning” letters to the pharmaceutical companies. But, would they make any difference? What’s the penalty to a drug company for promoting a misleading ad?
Moreover, the drug companies have ways around the regulations. For example, they pay influencers on social media to promote their drugs. These influencers don’t even bother to talk about a drug’s side effects. Or, online pharmacies promote drugs without bothering to mention their risks.
The FDA is once again sending out warning letters to drug companies and online pharmaceutical companies in cases where it deems their ads violate the law. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the intent is to “shut down that pipeline of deception and require drug companies to disclose all critical safety facts in their advertising.”
But, what exactly will the FDA do when the ads persist? Actions speak louder than words. And, if the administration really believes these ads are misleading, and they are, why not ban them altogether?
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Beware experimental Alzheimer’s drug trials
- Drug ads drive up drug spending
- Don’t trust TV drug ads
- Pharma pours money into telehealth
- Drug ads should be banned, not required to include drug prices
