Trump signs memo launching crackdown on drug advertisements
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to the media after a television interview at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, as his agency launches a campaign to crack down on misleading information in drug s. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo
President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum launching a crackdown on misinformation in drug s.
The president signed the memorandum Tuesday.
“My administration will ensure that the current regulatory framework for drug advertising results in fair, balanced and complete information for American consumers,” Trump said in the document.
It directs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “take appropriate action” to ensure transparency and accuracy in prescription drug s. It also calls on the head of the Food and Drug Administration to enforce the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act’s prescription drug advertising provisions.
“The FDA has historically stipulated that a manufacturer, packer or distributor must provide the public with materially complete information that fairly balances both the benefits and the risks of the drug,” he said in the memorandum.
“Over time, however, the FDA’s requirements have permitted drug companies to include less information, particularly in broadcast advertising, and drug manufacturer advertising has skyrocketed in recent decades.”
In line with the memorandum, the HHS announced reforms to rein in misleading direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical s.
It also said thousands of letters were sent out to pharmaceutical companies demanding the removal of misleading, along with about 100 cease-and-desist letters issued to companies running deceptive ads.
“Pharmaceutical ads hooked this country on prescription drugs,” Kennedy said in a statement.
“We will shut down that pipeline of deception and require drug companies to disclose all critical safety facts in their advertising.”