Drug Placements in TV Programs
UCLA Report Says FDA Needs to Regulate Medication Placements
Nielsen reports that drug manufacturers are turning to paid placements in programs as commercials lose effectiveness.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may soon be asked to regulate the paid placement of drug names in television programs, especially in medical shows like "Grey’s Anatomy."
A recent report from researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) raises concerns about the potential impact of such placements on patients and the general public. The report by Sony Ta, a clinical research fellow, and Dominick Frosh, an assistant professor of general internal medicine at UCLA, was published in the spring issue of the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.
Although the FDA regulates the advertising of medications, it currently does not regulate the paid placement of drug names in programs because it does not consider such placements as advertising. According to Nielsen Product Placement, pharmacy companies are turning to program placements more than ever because studies have indicated that drug commercials have been generally ineffective.
Fortune Magazine reported in September 2007 that "Scrubs", "House" and "Grey’s Anatomy" led all shows in mentioning or displaying pharmaceutical products such as painkillers, Viagra, Botox and NuvaRing, a vaginal insert birth control device.
A website named Anxiety, Addiction and Depression Treatments said such television programs"routinely feature medical environments where sexy doctors and nurses drop references to brand-name drugs."
