FDA may require phone number in TV drug ads

WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration is considering requiring TV drug advertisements to carry a toll-free number where patients can report serious problems with their medication, according to the Associated Press.

The FDA today will consult a panel of outside communication experts about whether displaying that language could distract viewers from other important information.

TV promotions have become a cornerstone of the pharmaceutical business since regulators opened the floodgate a decade ago. Companies spent roughly $3.5 billion on spots last year.

But some lawmakers and consumer advocates say the advertisements can encourage over-prescribing of medications before all their side effects are known. By encouraging patients to report negative reactions to FDA, they hope regulators will be able to catch drug safety problems sooner.

According to Duke University professor Ruth Day, who spoke in front of Democrats in Congress last week about the subject, 80 percent of viewers can recall benefits mentioned in TV drug ads, while only 20 percent successfully recall side effects.