Bart targets deceptive pharmaceutical advertising

The following is the continuation of SooToday.com's article about Bart Stupak's concerns related to deceptive pharmaceutical advertising practices.

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************************* Today we will hear from several witnesses, including the three pharmaceutical companies responsible for the Jarvik, ‘Food & Family,’ and ‘cancer fatigue’ campaigns.

We will also hear from the Kaiser Family Foundation about the effects of DTC ads, the American Medical Association regarding their policy on the portrayal of health professionals in DTC ads and the Government Accountability Office concerning FDA’s role in regulating DTC ads.

We will also hear from Dr. Ruth Day from Duke University who will provide an overview of research on how people understand and remember information in drug ads and how to improve their ability to do so.

We will learn some of the techniques used in broadcast advertisements that affect how consumers process the information in DTC ads.

This information may reveal that it’s not simply a matter of what is said in a DTC advertisement, but more importantly, what people take away from it.

The United States is only one of two countries that allows DTC ads.

Pharmaceutical companies should consider it a privilege to be allowed to air DTC ads in this country.

As with all privileges, there comes responsibility, and we should make sure that pharmaceutical companies conduct themselves responsibly.

The Food and Drug Administration shares the responsibility to make certain that drugs are marketed responsibly to consumers.

I also believe that Congress shares this responsibility, and I intend to make certain that our Committee ensures that pharmaceuticals market their products properly.

I believe that Congress needs to decide whether the U.S. should continue to be one of two countries in the world that allow DTC ads, and if we continue to allow such advertising, whether any further limits to DTC ads should be required.

If the three ads that we will discuss today are indicative of typical DTC ad campaigns, it appears that we need to enforce significant restrictions on DTC ads to protect American consumers from manipulative commercials designed to mislead and deceive for the profit of pharmaceutical companies.

I look forward to the testimony of each witness today, and it is my sincere hope that today’s hearing will lead to a better understanding of the effects of DTC advertisements and their proper role in our health care system.

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