Turn on the TV at any given hour and chances are good that you will see an ad for a cholesterol-lowering statin, plaque psoriasis or some other prescription medicine.
These ads are heavily regulated and can benefit patients by informing them about diseases and treatments and empowering them to seek medical advice. They can also reduce the stigma associated with certain conditions, such as obesity.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Food and Drug Administration recently announced plans to reform direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements, citing concerns that patients are not seeing a balance of information.
It’s important to note the FDA already has strict oversight over drug products, which includes disclosing the major risks of the medicine and directing viewers to a source for full safety information.
We find it disingenuous to target pharmaceutical ads while ignoring the harmful problem of legal advertising. Missouri is fortunate to have consumer protections in place that prevent deceptive advertisements by attorneys promoting lawsuits related to prescription drugs and medical devices. Unfortunately, citizens elsewhere lack these protections.
These sneaky ads don’t guide patients toward solutions. Instead, they create confusion, prevent patients from pursuing appropriate medical remedies and can even push patients to abandon therapies that improve their health.
If the goal is protecting patients from harmful advertising, start where the damage is clearest and ensure ethical standards in attorney advertising for all Americans.
