SUMMARY

On March 31, 2006, the Coalition for Healthcare Communication (CHC) -- comprised of major advertising, marketing and PR organizations, including the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Association of National Advertisers, and the Public Relations Society of America -- filed a Citizen Petition with the FDA seeking new prescription drug advertising rules and specifically calling for simplifying the communication of risk information in broadcast, print, and Internet DTC ads. The media as well as pharmaceutical marketing experts and critics interpreted the petition as a call for the elimination of specific risk information in DTC ads. The CHC disputes that interpretation.

This article presents a lightly edited transcript of a Pharma Marketing Roundtable discussion that included CHC representatives. Also included are excerpts from news stories about the CHC petition, results of a Pharma Marketing News online survey, and a collection of comments from survey respondents and bloggers.

Topics covered include:

• Excerpts from Pharma Marketing Blog ("DTC without the Risk")
• Pfizer's Way of Communicating Risk
• Commentary from Pharma Marketing Roundtable Members