Advocating for safer pharmaceutical marketing How patient voices can drive meaningful change Nearly 90% of teens and young adults turn to social media for health information, but until now, there’s been little oversight of how prescription drugs are promoted online. That changed with the recent passing of the Protecting Patients from Deceptive Drug Ads Online Act . This landmark bipartisan law marks a significant step forward for public health and patient safety in the digital age.
Driven by the patient-led organisation Generation Patient, led by its founder and BMJ patient advisor, Sneha Dave , the legislation compels the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to modernise and enforce its rules on how prescription medications are marketed on social media. It targets misleading or incomplete promotional content from influencers, telehealth providers and healthcare professionals. This legislation was particularly noteworthy because it was heavily influenced by patient advocacy, especially from a young patient group. It’s not often that patients lead the charge for legislation like this. Dave’s group has been discussing this issue for over three years, keeping it continually relevant in public discourse, and now they can finally see bipartisan support for their efforts. Generation Patient identified the problem through its Health Policy Lab: prescription drugs are being promoted by micro influencers with no
safety information or context. In one striking example, an influencer casually recommended a migraine drug with the comment, “You won’t regret it.” Another post promoting a prescription medication reached over 200 million views without once mentioning side effects, contraindications, or risks. The law now gives the FDA clear authority and a mandate to take action. It also enables the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to work together to regulate drug advertising on social media platforms. A new public database will also bring much needed transparency, ensuring patients can easily access accurate,
complete information about prescription medications. The legislation has drawn strong backing from across the political spectrum, as well as from medical societies and patient advocacy groups. It sets a precedent for how the US can regulate other health related content online, including non-prescription drugs and medical devices. As the conversation around ethical social media marketing evolves, Generation Patient’s groundwork offers hope for a more transparent and responsible approach to pharmaceutical advertising.
“This is more than just regulatory reform. It’s recognition that patients, especially young ones, can lead meaningful policy change.” Sneha Dave , founder & executive director, Generation Patient
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