AMA Votes to Ban DTC Ads

Citing the need to drive down prescription drug costs, the American Medical Association has voted to support a ban on direct-to-consumer ads. 

“Direct-to-consumer advertising … inflates demand for new and more expensive drugs, even when these drugs may not be appropriate,” says AMA Board Chair-elect Patrice Harris.

The vote is one prong of a broader strategy to bring down drug costs. The group also is calling for federal action to limit what it sees as anticompetitive behavior in the pharmaceutical industry. Specifically, it wants the government to stop companies from abusing patent protections and exclusivity incentives to stave off generic competition.