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The American Medical Association on Tuesday called for a ban on consumer advertising for prescription drugs and medical devices, saying such marketing could be driving demand for unnecessary expensive treatments. The Chicago-based association said it adopted a policy supporting an advertising ban and called for greater transparency in prescription drug prices and costs. The policy was adopted by physicians at an AMA meeting in Atlanta. (Russell, 11/18)

The resolution, approved by the AMA’s House of Delegates, has no immediate impact as only the Food and Drug Administration or Congress has the power to ban pharmaceutical advertising. ... According to the AMA, as more people seek drugs they may not need from doctors who may not be willing to prescribe them, drug prices and the money spent on selling them is on the rise. The group reported an 30 percent uptick in the money spent on DTC ads in the past two years, now a total of $4.5 billion. (Moyer, 11/19)

Julie Donohue, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health, has studied direct-to-consumer drug advertising for 15 years. She said even if the federal government were to ban the ads, “it’s very unlikely the ban would stand up to a legal challenge, which would almost certainly be mounted by both the pharmaceutical industry and media.” (Scott, 11/18)