Senators Offer Online Drug Ads Bill Targeting Low FDA Oversight

A bipartisan bill addressing false and misleading prescription drug advertisements by social media influencers and telehealth companies would increase FDA oversight, authority that a Bloomberg Law investigation found was unclear and slow in recent years.

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) on Thursday introduced legislation that would require the Food and Drug Administration to issue warning letters, followed by fines for noncompliance, to social media influencers and telehealth companies that engage with false and misleading prescription drug promotions.

The legislation would also require pharmaceutical manufacturers to report payments to influencers, according to the lawmakers’ summary of the measure. ...