According to Harvard Medical School, the United States and New Zealand “are the only countries where drug makers are allowed to market prescription drugs directly to consumers.”
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission is responsible for regulating direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. According to Food & Drug Administration rules, drug ads must name “at least one approved use for the drug,” “the generic name of the drug” and all of its risks—or in some cases, only the most important risks.
Research demonstrates that consumer advertising has both benefits (empowering patients, encouraging them to speak with care providers and removing stigma around certain diseases) and drawbacks (overemphasizing drug benefits, leading to inappropriate prescriptions and increasing costs).