Drug Ads' Survival Hangs in Balance

Now that the Food and Drug Administration has said it will issue new guidelines for prescription-drug ads this fall, one option would be to eliminate the ads, according to a notice published in the Federal Register last week.

The FDA said it will hold a two-day public meeting Sept. 22 and 23 to study the latest research on direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs. At issue: whether such ads make consumers aware of potential life-threatening situations, as the pharmaceutical industry maintains, or drive up healthcare costs, as consumer groups and some lawmakers contend.