This post was also written by Areta Kupchyk.

On May 11, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a new initiative – the “Bad Ad Program” – designed to educate health care practitioners about their role in ensuring that prescription drug advertising and promotion is truthful, and not misleading. With the launch of this program, FDA, through its Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC), is now actively seeking to “collaborate with health care professionals” to increase the effectiveness of the agency’s marketing and advertising surveillance program. DDMAC is responsible for assuring prescription drug information is truthful, balanced, and accurately communicated, and guarding against false and misleading advertising and promotion through comprehensive surveillance, enforcement, and educational programs. For more information, see the summary on our sister blog, Life Sciences Legal Update.