AMA’s Proposal on Prescription Drug Advertising is Wrong and Misguided

Unfortunately this is not a new idea just a bad one It would roll the clock back decades to the days when only doctors could be amp8220trustedamp8221 to receive information about important health issues Such an approach is wrong and misguidedPrescription drug advertising is one of the most highlyregulated advertising categories amp160The FDA has very powerful tools to ensure that these ads are truthful and nondeceptive as well as the power to impose civil penalties for any ads which cross the line Congress rejected sweeping proposals to restrict DTC advertising in 2007 when they passed major legislation reforming the FDABanning DTC advertising also raises very serious First Amendment concerns In the Western States case in 2003 a case which involved pharmaceutical advertising the US Supreme Court held that amp8220If the First Amendment means anything it means regulating speech must be a last amp8211 not a first amp8211 resortamp8221 Clearly the AMA proposal fails that testThe AMAamp8217s proposal comes several weeks after presidential candidate Hillary Clintonamp8217s call to ban the tax deduction for DTC advertising It is clear that we are seeing a major renewed focus on this important speech category amp160amp160There is substantial data which demonstrates that DTC advertising plays a critical role in our nationamp8217s health care system One of the greatest health dangers in the United States is the under treatment of life threatening or debilitating diseases Millions of Americans are unaware that they have high blood pressure high cholesterol clinical depression or diabetes All of these diseases can be successfully treated with prescription drugs Early treatment can be a matter of life or death or the avoidance of serious disability Clearly these drugs help patients avoid strokes heart attacks kidney disease and combat mental illness and can thereby save enormous costs in hospitalization or constant treatment by physiciansWe believe that consumers should have more information about their health not less DTC advertising under the FDAamp8217s strict oversight is providing extremely valuable information to millions of Americans about their health care Banning these ads or denying the current tax deduction for them would be unwise and counterproductivePhotograph courtesy of Corbis The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecom MyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers amp160

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AMA’s Proposal on Prescription Drug Advertising is Wrong and Misguided

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AMA’s Proposal on Prescription Drug Advertising is Wrong and Misguided

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