FDA Advertising Guidelines
Rules/Regulations Regarding Prescription Drug Advertising
Requirements
All ads for prescription drugs must include the name of the drug, one of the FDA-approved uses, and the the most notable side effects.
Reminder Advertisments
Reminder ads tell you about the name of a drug that is already known about by the audience. Since they assume that you already know the purpose of the drug and all of the side effects, they are not required to tell you.
Product Claim Advertisments
Product claim ads name drugs and tell of potential advantages and disadvantages of them. This is done by considering the risks and benefits of taking the drug. The advertisers must also tell you all of the side effects. If they do not tell of all the side effects in their ad, they must give you a place to find them (such as on their website).
Help-Seeking Advertisments
Help-seeking advertisements have the goal of informing you about a certain illness without recommending a specific treatment. They may be by a certain company that makes drugs, but are not regulated by the FDA because the advertisers cannot list their actual drug.