Watchdogs circling DTC drug commercials

In what's becoming a daily update on the state of drug advertising, today the Los Angeles Times reviews the following:

• Congressional investigations of ads for the newly controversial med Vytorin [1], made by Merck and Schering-Plough, and the non-rowing, non-practicing [2]doctor-slash-pitchman for Pfizer's Lipitor.
• A program that would have stepped up FDA oversight for such ads was scuttled last month for lack of funding.
• A Consumer Reports feature called AdWatch is stepping into the breach, reviewing info included--and neglected--of national ads. Its first subject: the restless-legs syndrome med Requip.

We were just as interested, though, in which drug websites are most popular with doctors, a list published by the Chicago Tribune. Here are the top five:

• Januvia
• Singulair
• Advair
• Chantix
• Adderal XR

The rest of the top 10 [3], plus the 2006 list, are available at the link below. Hint: They include two of the biggest newsmakers of recent months.

- find the Manhattan Research ranking [3] of websites
- read the report [4] in the Los Angeles Times
- check out the website list [5] in the Chicago Tribune

Related Articles:
Consumer group spoofs drug ads. Report [6]
Final FDA bill lacks new DTC oversight. Report [7]
Drug marketing costs double R&D. Report [8]
FDA to study TV drug ad imagery. Report [9]