The guidelines below are an abridged version of the AMA’s guidelines, which were developed with the Food and Drug Administration and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.
• Must be disease specific and enhance consumer education
• Should convey clear information on the prevention or treatment of a disease
• Should refer patients to their doctors for more information
• Should not encourage self diagnosis and treatment, but should identify the population at risk
Other rules state that:
• Discussion of using the drug product for treatment should be balanced
• Warnings and precautions associated with the drug should be explained
• No comparative claims should be made for a product
• Non-drug management should be described
• Brief summary information should be presented in language the consumer can understand
• The advertisement must comply with the rules of the Food and Drug Administration
• The advertisement should be part of the manufacturer’s education programme for doctors and consumers
• The manufacturer should not run concurrent incentive programmes encouraging doctors to prescribe and pharmacists to dispense the drug