POLICY
Ad bans At a meeting on 17 November, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a policy calling for a ban on public advertisements that market prescription drugs and medical devices directly to consumers. Physicians at the meeting cited concerns that such advertising is raising demand for expensive drugs, despite the availability of cheaper, equally effective treatments. The US is one of only two countries that allow direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and devices, an industry that in the US spends more than $4 billion on such ads, according to the market-research group Kantar Media. “Direct-to-consumer advertising also inflates demand for new and more expensive drugs, even when these drugs may not be appropriate,” said Patrice Harris, chairman-elect of the AMA, in a statement. In keeping with the new policy, the agency will lobby for changes to the federal laws that permit such advertising. The policy also involves the creation of a physician-led task force to advocate for prescription drug affordability and greater transparency from pharmaceutical companies regarding drug and device costs.
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