Changes

There used to be no DTC advertising by pharmaceuticals.  But recently there has been an enormous increase in DTC advertising for prescription drugs, and this has yielded a 32% increase in sales of prescription drugs. In 2004, the pharmaceutical industry spent $4.2 billion on DTC advertisements for prescription medications, compared to spending only $595.5 million on DTC advertisements in 1996.

There used to be no DTC advertising by pharmaceuticals.  But recently there has been an enormous increase in DTC advertising for prescription drugs, and this has yielded a 32% increase in sales of prescription drugs. In 2004, the pharmaceutical industry spent $4.2 billion on DTC advertisements for prescription medications, compared to spending only $595.5 million on DTC advertisements in 1996.

The [[FDA]] prohibits three types of DTC about a prescription drug:  (1) inadequate risk information about adverse effects, (2) misleading effectiveness claims, and (3) misleading comparative claims.

The [[FDA]] prohibits three types of DTC about a prescription drug:  (1) inadequate risk information about adverse effects, (2) misleading effectiveness claims, and (3) misleading comparative claims.  In addition, the FDA particularly scrutinizes and disfavors the promotion of unapproved or "off-label" uses of prescription drugs.