About FDA
Can FDA ban direct-to-consumer drug advertising?
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act permits the advertising of prescription drugs as long as the advertisements are accurate and not misleading. Prohibiting direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising would require an act of Congress to change the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and would also raise complex freedom of speech issues.
FDA has a section called the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC), which oversees prescription drug advertising activities. DDMAC works to ensure that companies that sell prescription drugs also provide information that is truthful, balanced, and accurate by:
- looking for and taking action against advertisements that violate the law
- educating industry and others about the specifics of the law
- encouraging better communication of promotional information that is provided to health care professionals and consumers
- Where can I find information about adverse reactions to a medicine prescribed for my child?
- Where can I find information about medicines prescribed for my child?
- Materials from Webinar on Access to Investigational Drugs
- FDA Basics Webinar: "Mini-Sentinel," FDA's New Tool for Monitoring the Safety of FDA-Approved Medical Products
- How FDA Evaluates Regulated Products: Drugs
- FDA Webinar on Prescription Drug Shortages
- FDA Webinar on "Bad Ads" Program
- FDA Basics Webinar on Generic Drugs
- FDA Basics Videos: Tim Coté on Orphan Drugs
- What is an FDA Drug Safety Communication?
- What is counterfeit medicine?
- FDA Basic Video: Interview with John Jenkins on New Drugs (Video)
- What are unapproved drugs and why are they on the market?
- How can I stay better informed about drugs? Is there a reliable website FDA recommends?
- How do I discard medicine that I no longer need, do I just throw it in the garbage?
- How do I report a bad reaction to medicine or medication error to FDA?
- Does FDA approve the proprietary names of prescription drugs?
- What does FDA require drug manufacturers to do to prevent contaminated drugs? If contamination occurs, how must they correct the problem?
- How does FDA help consumers when drug shortages happen?
- Does FDA approve the information given out by pharmacies when I pick up my medicine?
- How does FDA decide when a drug is not safe enough to stay on the market?
- How do I find out if a drug is approved? Is there a Web site I can go to?
- What is the approval process for a new prescription drug?
- What is a Warning Letter?
- Can FDA ban direct-to-consumer drug advertising?
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