10 reforms for drug advertising

At BrandweekRx, Jim Edwards outlines 10 direct-to-consumer advertising reforms he says are urgently needed to protect consumers from unscrupulous drug advertising. Edwards' recommendations include banning product-placement ads and forcing drug companies to disclose to the SEC how much money they're spending on advertising (companies don't have to say how much is spent promoting a drug, but it's about double the cost of R&D). He also recommends an FDA requirement for head-to-head studies between competing drugs so that doctors can make educated decisions when prescribing medications. Finally, Edwards argues in favor of total transparency of the amount and usage of drug company dollars spent on Continuing Medical Education, along with full disclosure of payments and gifts to doctors.

- read this blog entry to see all 10 recommendations