FTC "Should Regulate Consumer Drug Ads"

The US Federal trade Commission should take over the regulation of direct-to-consumer drug advertising from the Food and Drug Administration, according to a recommendation by the House Budget Committee.

In its report on the fiscal 1996 budget resolution, the Committee says the FTC has a long history of directly regulating consumer advertising. It has full authority to protect consumers from false and misleading advertising, and has much more experience and expertise than the FDA in consumer advertising. "By attempting to protect the consumer from false and misleading advertising, the FDA has slowed the dissemination of truthful and important medication information to the public, and is wasting resources that could be spent on other areas of concern," it says.

Also Seeks Ban On Draft CME Policy The Budget Committee report adopts proposals to eliminate a range of federal programs put forward by the national economic growth subcommittee of the House government reform and Oversight Committee, nine of which relate to FDA activity. It also says that the FDA should be prohibited from enforcing its proposed policy on industry-supported continuing medical education activities, on the grounds that this prevents the exchange of valuable information, "and leads to unnecessary patient deaths and injuries."