Summary
Makers of prescription drugs can expect more scrutiny of their ads, Food and Drug Administration officials say. In the wake of highly publicized problems with arthritis drugs like Vioxx, officials say they will be making changes in how they review ads aimed directly at consumers. "Consider this a heads up," one official told an audience at a recent drug marketing convention. "We are very concerned about the direction consumer advertising seems to be taking."
Original source:
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/safp/524307.html
Details
The landscape of prescription drug advertising to consumers will definitely change in the wake of recent government hearings on the popular painkillers Celebrex, Vioxx and Bextra.
His words were echoed strongly last week by an FDA official who reviews drug ads for accuracy.
"We are very concerned about the direction consumer advertising seems to be taking."
But an FDA advisory panel's suggested ban on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising for the well-known painkillers known as cox-2 inhibitors is not about to happen.
Even if the FDA accepts the rest of the panel's recommendations -- that Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx stay on the market but with warning labels and better consumer information on their cardiovascular risks -- the agency does not have the power to implement an outright ban on advertising.
Because of the First Amendment, the FDA "does not have the authority to ban direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising," an FDA spokesperson said.
In 2005, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found, 90 percent of adults had seen or heard ads for prescription drugs, up from 76 percent in 2000.
Pharmaceutical companies can advertise approved drugs if the ads are "truthful and not misleading," according to the FDA spokesperson.
Amgen discontinued the ad as a result, and reportedly has no plans to reissue it.
The agency can also request that a company stop advertising altogether, an action it has taken twice.
Cindy Callaghan, director of brand communications at AstraZeneca, described the company's new "unbranded educational ad," which "seeks to educate consumers about potentially serious NSAID treatment-related complications.
Levinson, however, thinks that
advertising directly to consumers "would be a waste of money" from here on out for cox-2 painkillers in particular.
And even if consumers head to doctors with information from an ad, doctors will probably be reluctant to prescribe the cox-2s, he said.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the founder of a well known HTML email software company whose 'Email Marketing Director' software currently runs the NaturalNews subscription database. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Email this article to a friend
Share
this article on: 
