This post was written by Paul Sheives. FDA has announced plans to conduct a study entitled “Clinical Benefit Information in Professional Labeling and Direct-to-Consumer Print Advertisements for Prescription Drugs.”  The purpose of the study is to: (1) understand how physicians process clinical efficacy information and how they interpret approved product label information; (2) determine physician preferences for alternative presentations of clinical efficacy information in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, and (3) examine how different presentations of clinical efficacy information in DTC advertising affect consumers’ perceptions of efficacy and safety. The study is focused on how physicians and consumers make risk/benefit assessments in response to variations in presentation of the efficacy information on the first page of the document. FDA is accepting written comments until January 3, 2011.