Drug Manufacturers Accused of Faulty Advertising

Heading to the doctor’s office to get relief or comfort from what ails us has become commonplace. But when the pharmaceutical companies nudge a caregiver to give a medication a try with fancy advertising and appealing promises, we want to believe that those pharmaceutical companies are being honest.

On September 26th, the Food and Drug Administration stepped forward with letters to multiple drug companies including Covidien, Shire, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis complaining of exaggeration when it came to the efficiency and accuracy of certain medications shown on advertisements.

Many of us enjoy watching Ty Pennington, and that means when he talks, we tend to listen. Is that why drug manufacturers chose this celebrity as the spokesman for living better with the help of specific medications?

Of course, promotions and advertisements are nothing new, but when it comes to medication, the Food and Drug Administration requires (and ensures) the promises made are realistic and truthful.

The makers of such drugs as Concerta, Focalin XR, Methylin, Adderall XR, and Strattera had violated safety standards. By claiming that certain medications utilized in treating ADHD and other disorders were safer and worked better than actually proven, these makers were misleading the public with false advertising.

Not only was the information provided misleading, but the risks of taking the medications were minimized or ignored all together. One company even claimed a medication was for treating ADHD, yet, the medication has not yet been approved for such use.

When drug manufacturers are accused of faulty advertising that is misleading and accurate, one must stop and wonder what other areas of the process are these drug manufacturers being neglectful with and how is that affecting our lives and the lives of our children living with ADHD.