Have you ever tried to read and actually understand the warning label on over-the-counter drugs or product inserts on prescription medication you buy? Labels are largely misunderstood and package inserts are routinely ignored. The main purpose of labeling is to inform the consumer about the benefits and risks of taking the drug. If the ordinary person cannot understand the information on the label or insert, what has been achieved?
Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School are urging the FDA to adopt a similar concept to nutrition labeling on food packaging. They suggest presenting comparative risk and benefit information in easily understood numerical tables or drug fact box on the drug packaging.
Current television and radio advertising for drugs usually concludes with a quickly read list of risk factors that no one can understand. Print advertisement usually provide risk information in very small print and difficult to understand medical terminology.
Consumers, health advocates, legislators and even some doctors consider the current format misleading. Since the pharmaceutical industry spent almost $5 billion in advertising last year, would it hurt them to actually inform the public about their products? Naturally, the FDA, which should be out front on this public safety issue, is being cautious about taking a stand. They acknowledge receiving complaints that drug ads are not providing adequate information to consumers, but will only “study” how to improve the situation.
Call your legislators and get them to pressure the FDA to force the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing for us. Good, effective, safe drugs will be readily purchased by patients and physicians will prescribe the drugs that help the most and risk the least. As my old grandmother used to say “Forewarned is forearmed.”
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
I fully agree with the author.