AMA demands change in drug advertisements

xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> AMA demands change in drug advertisements

http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7302/1566/b

 

BMJ 2001;322:1566 ( 30 June )

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AMA demands change in drug advertisements

Fred Charatan, Florida

The American Medical Association is to ask drug manufacturers to insert a statement into all its direct to consumer advertisements saying: "Your physician may recommend other appropriate treatments."

Direct to consumer advertising of drugs has been blamed for adding to the steep rise in healthcare costs (BMJ 2000:321;783). But although drug firms like being able to advertise direct to the public, they have been resisting efforts to make allergy drugs available over the counter. A panel of the Food and Drug Administration recently voted that three remedies, including fexofenadine (Allegra), were safe enough to be sold without a doctor's prescription (26 May, p 1270).

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