Frist Calls for Moratorium on DTC Drug Ads

In early July, U.S. Senate majority leader Bill Frist (R–TN) called for a two-year moratorium on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of new pharmaceuticals. Citing “skyrocketing” use of DTC ads on television, Frist, a cardiac surgeon, said, “This advertising can lead to inappropriate prescribing and fuel prescription drug spending.” Acknowledging that the ads can empower patients by increasing awareness about advances in drug therapies, Frist nevertheless said the ads tend to “oversell benefits and undersell risks,” which can compromise patient safety and care.

Although medtech manufacturers have shown signs of increasing interest in DTC advertising, their product campaigns and expenditures are infinitesimal compared with those of the pharmaceutical industry. And although it looks as though Frist's current campaign will not target the device market directly, it has the industry's attention.