FDA enlists doctors to crack down on pharmaceutical sales pitches that violate rules

FDA urges docs to report misleading drug ads

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is asking doctors to keep an eye out for misleading drug advertisements as part of the agency’s latest effort to police the pharmaceutical industry’s multibillion-dollar marketing machine.

The agency’s “bad ad program” urges doctors to report ads and sales pitches that violate FDA rules. Drug companies are legally required to present a balanced picture of a drug’s benefits and risks in promotions.

Currently the FDA relies on a few dozen staffers to review hundreds of pharmaceutical ads, brochures and presentations voluntarily submitted by companies or reported to the agency by drug industry workers.

As part of the program FDA will offer doctors training at medical conferences to help spot misleading ads.