Coalition for Healthcare Communication - Coalition Commentary












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Coalition Commentary on Current Issues

U.S. Senate to Vote on Drug Marketing Limits
The United States Senate began debate Monday, April 30, on a package of new FDA provisions including authority to ban DTC ads for up to two years and authority to impose sweeping restrictions professional marketing as part of drug safety plans called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS). Voting is expected later in the week.

Jim Davidson, head of the Advertising Coalition, says this is the most serious threat to drug marketing and commercial speech in at least a decade. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), a former newspaper publisher and editor, has offered an amendment to oppose the DTC ban and limit other provisions. When the Health Committee voted the bill last week, the Roberts amendment failed by only one vote, demonstrating the importance of constituent communication to Senators before the full Senate vote. These marketing limits are part of a bill sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY).

Davidson and the AAAA have developed a package of materials to enable citizens to effectively contact their Senators and register their views. All the details on the bills and instructions on how to contact Senators are available on the AAAA website: http://www.aaaa.org/EWEB/Dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=LNDGA&key=b1e045aa-e4ff-441a-bafd-1ab41a3cc97d.

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