The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has released an outline of voluntary guidelines drug manufacturers should use when advertising prescription products to consumers.
Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical ads make heavy use direct marketing.
The guidelines, which still have yet to be approved, recommend that drug makers:
*Discuss new drugs with physicians before launching DTC campaigns.
*Target ads to appropriate age groups and audiences.
*Include information about drugs’ risks and benefits.
*Make claims about drugs only when there is substantial evidence to support the claims *Promote disease awareness. *Inform uninsured patients about programs that provide no-cost or reduced-cost drugs.
Consumers Union criticized these guidelines as a “placebo” because they are voluntary and called for laws to regulate DTC advertising.
“Without a way to legally enforce these guidelines under law, it’s a good bet that the drug industry will continue giving short shrift to side effects and safety concerns in its advertising,” said Rob Schneider, director of the group’s prescription drug reform effort in a statement. “Congress needs to act to ensure consumers and doctors know about all the potential safety problems with a drug, and not just the pretty picture industry wants to paint.”
In a related development, the Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to Cytogen Corp. over allegedly improper DR radio and online ads for its cancer drug Quadramet, according to news reports.
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