People’s Pharmacy: Can Congress or the FDA curtail drug commercials?

The pharmaceutical industry spends a ton of money on drug ads. This should come as no surprise to anyone who watches TV or streams videos on an electronic device.

Commercials for Skyrizi, Rinvoq, Dupixent, Farxiga, Wegovy and Jardiance are just a few of the brands you have probably seen advertised. Will the Food and Drug Administration or Congress be able to make it harder for drug companies to continue promoting medicines to consumers?

We periodically take informal polls of readers and people who come to our talks. They almost universally complain about pharma ads.

Our respondents note that the actors in these commercials are usually smiling or laughing. Dogs and children are frequent participants. The featured individuals are often portrayed as having a wonderfully active time even if they suffer from a debilitating condition such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, asthma, major depression or multiple sclerosis.

The FDA requires that these commercials come with warnings about serious side effects. The announcer may mention adverse drug reactions such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke, life-threatening infections, coma or death.

Such required notifications have not deterred drug companies from advertising to patients, though. According to a Bloomberg report (June 17, 2025), “Companies spent $10.8 billion in 2024 on direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising in total, according to a report from the advertising data firm MediaRadar.”

All that could change if Senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King have their way. On June 12, 2025, they introduced the “End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act.” It would prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies.

There could be a few challenges to this plan. Drug companies are likely to fight to keep their lucrative commercials. The strategy might well be to claim First Amendment free speech rights. At the least, they could tie up this initiative in the courts for years.

There is also the challenge of cash. The pharmaceutical industry spends an astonishing amount of money lobbying and supporting senators and congressmen. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle take large contributions from drug makers. According to OpenSecrets.org, the pharmaceutical and health products industry spent nearly $400 million on lobbying and contributions. Will lawmakers bite the hands that feed them by joining Angus and Bernie’s initiative?

There is Plan B, however. The Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA could discourage drug commercials under existing laws. Bloomberg reports that the administration is considering two options. One would force drug companies to disclose lots more side effects. This could make commercials much longer, less appealing and more expensive.

The second option would no longer permit pharmaceutical companies to deduct the cost of commercials as a business expense. There is, however, the likelihood of litigation. It’s not just Big Pharma that would complain. Broadcasters would probably object because such ads represent a huge revenue stream.

If you are fed up with drug commercials every few minutes, why not let your senators and congressional representatives know your opinion? If they hear from enough people, they may be willing to stand up against Big Pharma.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”