By Elizabeth M. Whelan, Sc.D., M.P.H.
Posted: Friday, June 4, 2010
Publication Date: June 3, 2010

From the Manhattan Institute's Medical Progress Today "Second Opinion" section, June 3, 2010.

No one wants misleading pharmaceutical advertising, but the Food and Drug Administration's plan to deputize doctors to police drug companies is a misguided effort.

Most physicians and health care workers simply don't have the hard data necessary to judge whether an ad overstates a drug's efficacy or plays down its risks. The hundreds of needless reports will distract the FDA from its core mission.

And the program isn't even limited to medical professionals; anyone will be allowed to file anonymous complaints. It's easy to imagine competitors or ideological activists trying to sabotage a new drug.

Ultimately, encouraging colleagues to report on colleagues is unprofessional and can only foster adversarial relationships between physicians and pharmaceutical companies.

Instead, why doesn't the FDA try training a small group of doctors and paying them a modest honorarium to monitor ads? This would give the agency a manageable amount of feedback, instead of the chaos of unlimited submissions.

Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan is President of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) and a member of its Board of Trustees. She founded ACSH in 1978. A graduate of Connecticut College, she has a Masters in Public Health from the Yale School of Medicine, a Master of Science from the Harvard School of Public Health , and a Doctor of Science from the Harvard School of Public Health.