Visit www.fda.gov and search for “Bad Ad Program” to learn more about it. What is the FDA asking medical professionals to look for in DTC ads and other promotional activities directed toward them? How might this program be abused by the pharmaceutical industry?

The FDA is enlisting doctors in its battle against misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads targeted toward consumers (called direct-to-consumer or DTC ads) and other promotional activities directed at medical professionals. You’ve seen television commercials for Viagra, Lipitor, Chantix, and other prescription drugs. Since the FDA relaxed the rules regarding broadcast prescription drug advertising in the late 1990s, DTC advertising has increased more than 300 percent, with $4.5 billion spent in 2009. That’s actually down from the peak of $5.5 billion in 2006 because of the recession. It’s difficult for the FDA to monitor DTC ads and other promotional activity aimed at medical professionals, so it created the “Bad Ad Program” and spent most of 2010 educating doctors about this program.