Congress Tells Pharma Companies To Rein In Deceptive Ads, Or Else

At a hearing today on recent pharmaceutical television ads, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) let rip on what he considers deceptive TV ads by pharma companies.

"'It appears that we need to enforce significant restrictions on DTC (direct-to-consumer) ads to protect American consumers from manipulative commercials designed to mislead and deceive for the profit of pharmaceutical companies,' said Stupak, head of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce investigative panel.

"The Michigan Democrat said Congress should consider whether ads promoting medicines should be allowed to continue to target consumers in the United States, the only country that allows such marketing except for New Zealand.

'Pharmaceutical companies should consider it a privilege to be allowed to air DTC ads in this country,' he said. 'We should make sure that pharmaceuticals companies conduct themselves responsibly.'"

One pharma company defended the infamous Robert Jarvik Lipitor ads thus:

"James Sage, a Pfizer senior director, said ads are necessary because companies cannot sell prescription products directly to consumers. Such patient-targeted spots 'motivate them to seek additional information ... consult their physicians ... and follow treatment plans,' he said."

Yes, motivate them to seek additional information from their doctors who the pharma companies also go out of their way to misinform and deceive.

As much as I am against limiting anyone's free speech, the pharma companies have gone way too far in their advertising the last 10 years and I have a hard time understanding the benefit to the public when doctors can simply access the same information, twisted as it might be. Congress was not examining any ads for mental health meds today, but it is certainly the branch of pharma advertising that Congress should look at, especially magazine and online ads for anti-depressants and antipsychotics (I'm thinking of the Pfizer ad for Geodon featuring a serene looking woman practicing yoga).

I've written before that pharma ads for psych meds should be banned or greatly restricted. I stand by that statement.