Putting an End to Misleading Info on Prescription Drugs
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Commercials that give deceptive info on prescription drugs may soon be a relic of the past. With medicinal misuse and abuse growing in the nation, the government is seeking to do what it can to promote proper safety education and regulation. A new United States Food and Drug Administration program called “Bad Ad,” a part of the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communication (DDMAC), is looking to weed out any form of advertisement that disseminates misleading information about prescription drugs.
Drugs on TV
Televised drug ads were first made legal in 1997, and they have since proven to be effective in attracting the attention of consumers. As much as 1/3 of Americans are said seek out their doctors’ advice for info on prescription drugs after having viewed an advertisement for a medicine on television. While these ads often paint a very bright and rosy picture about a given product, they are expected to disclose risk information and not overstate the benefits. The new federal program, “Bad Ad,” seeks to crack down on ads that fail to do this and may soon require all forms of television advertising to provide a toll-free number for the purpose of reporting any side effects one may experience when using the given drug.
Reporting Misleading Information about Prescription Drugs
Anyone who should witness a television commercial or presentation that appears to over exaggerate a drug’s effectiveness or leave out essential information on risk and side effects is encouraged to report these findings to DDMAC. Additional frowned on forms of deceptive advertising include misleading comparisons or promoting “off-label” uses. By improving the standards for medicinal promotion and advertising, it is hopeful that the instances of injury or death due to the misuse of prescription drugs may be significantly lessened. PrescriptionDrugs.com encourages consumers to be savvy and learn proper information about prescription drugsby utilizing the A to Z list database.
DDMAC Contact Information
FDA/CDER/DDMAC
5901-B Ammendale Rd,
Beltsville, MD 20705-1266
Phone: 877-RX-DDMAC (877-793-3622)
E-Mail: BadAd@fda.gov
Fax: 301-847-8444
