President Trump has signed a memorandum aimed at tightening how prescription drugs are advertised. While it doesn’t ban ads outright, it directs the FDA and HHS to crack down on misleading advertisements, especially on social media and digital platforms. The goal is to restore public trust and make sure patients get full, clear information about drug risks.
A major focus is closing a loophole from 1997 that allows drug companies to send viewers to external websites instead of including full safety warnings in the ads themselves. Before that rule, TV ads had to list all known side effects directly in the commercial.
Officials say enforcement of ad rules has been weak in recent years, but now they plan to prioritize cases where violations could cause real harm. Because drug ads are protected under commercial speech laws, changes will revolve around clearer disclosure rather than cutting off advertising. If these rules are enforced, it could be the biggest change in U.S. drug ad oversight in nearly 30 years.
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