April 22, 2024
By: Richard Lee Stavins

Are you tired of those annoying television prescription drug advertisements where they tell you how wonderful their medication is, and then at the tail end they flash on the screen a warning in print so small and in language so complicated and for so short a time that no human being can read it, let along understand it?

Well, here’s some good news: relief is on the way.

After considering the question since March 2010 – yes, 2010, 14 long years ago – the Federal Drug Administration has finally promulgated disclosure rules to take effect May 20, 2024, which require that radio and television advertisements for prescription drugs must be:

• Presented in consumer-friendly language that is readily understandable.
• Presented both verbally and in writing.
• Readily readable.
• Presented without audio or visual elements that would interfere with the viewer’s ability to understand the warning.

Oh, and by the way, you might be interested to know that the only countries on earth that permit consumer advertising of prescription drugs are the United States of America and New Zealand.