The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now considering to give permission to pharmaceutical companies in marketing and advertising drugs that are once categorized as "off-the-label".
It was found that the FDA is going to conduct a two day mediation trial which aims to gather various inputs as to whether they will allow drug and device manufacturers to sell their products, which is commonly known as an "off the label" use. The said hearing reportedly follows a recently amended federal court ruling which highly encourages the use of these drugs to be a form of protected free speech.
In one of her statements reported by PR Web, Deputy Content Editor for Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, Lisa Gill, said that it is FDA's primary obligation to ensure that drugs are safe and effective before they can even be marketed and sold to consumers. Furthermore, Gill believes that being lax regarding these conditions would actually mean the disruption of FDA's mission which in turn, can also jeopardize the health of consumers as they mistakenly cling to false and misleading claims. Moreover, Gill has also added that that the FDA is basically expected to protect patients as well as consumers by letting the ban on "off the label" drug promotion to stay as it is.
According to Consumer Reports, the Pew Research Center said that each year in the U.S., pharmaceutical companies allegedly spend nearly $27 million in advertising their products. However, at the present time, it was said that these companies are only allowed to encourage the use of certain drugs, which are approved by FDA until the final decision is released.
On the other hand, experts currently suggest that if a consumer opts for an unapproved treatment for his health problems, it would always be best to consult your respective healthcare provider whetherits use is supported by expert studies.
