Debate Rages Over Direct-to-Consumer Drug Ads

Lawmakers propose bans as industry spending on TV, digital, and print ads tops $9 billion annually

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The debate over whether drug companies should be allowed to advertise directly to consumers has reignited, with the Trump administration and lawmakers from both parties proposing bans or restrictions. Proponents argue the ads provide valuable information, while critics say they encourage overuse of expensive new medications. The issue is particularly relevant for older adults, who take more prescription drugs and are targeted by these ads.

Why it matters

Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been a controversial practice for decades, with most developed countries banning the practice. Proponents say the ads empower patients, while critics argue they lead to overuse of costly new drugs. As the population ages and prescription drug use rises, the debate has taken on new urgency.

The details

The amount spent on direct-to-consumer drug ads has skyrocketed in recent years, reaching an estimated $201 million for the Ozempic diabetes drug alone in 2023. Overall, total spending on such ads topped $9 billion last year. The FDA has issued warnings about deceptive ads, and the Trump administration called for a return to the pre-1997 policy severely restricting these ads. Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties have introduced bills to ban or limit direct-to-consumer drug marketing, especially for newly approved medications.

  • In 1997, the FDA loosened restrictions and allowed prescription drug ads on TV.
  • In 2006, the introduction of Medicare Part D led to a 'huge expansion' in pharmaceutical advertising.
  • In 2023, researchers found that nearly three-quarters of the top advertised medications didn't perform markedly better than older ones.
  • In 2023, the FDA notified Novo Nordisk that a TV ad for a new oral version of Wegovy was false and misleading.

The players

Tamar Abrams

A 69-year-old woman who moved to Rhode Island after a difficult couple of years and started taking the diabetes drug Ozempic after seeing its ads.

Dr. Steven Woloshin

A researcher who studies health communication and decision making at the Dartmouth Institute, and advocates for more effective educational campaigns to help consumers become more skeptical of drug ads.

Abby Alpert

A health economist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who argues that direct-to-consumer ads benefit consumers by providing information and leading to increased use of both brand-name and generic drugs.

Dr. Aaron Kesselheim

The senior author of a study that found nearly three-quarters of the top advertised medications didn't perform markedly better than older ones, and who argues that drugs without added therapeutic value need to be 'pushed' through advertising.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Health and Human Services Secretary who has charged that 'pharmaceutical ads hooked this country on prescription drugs' and called for a return to the pre-1997 policy restricting such ads.

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What they’re saying

“Part of aging is developing health conditions and becoming a target of drug advertising.”

— Dr. Steven Woloshin, Researcher, Dartmouth Institute

“Often, really good drugs sell themselves. Drugs without added therapeutic value need to be pushed, and that's what direct-to-consumer advertising does.”

— Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, Director, Program on Regulation, Therapeutics and Law, Harvard University

“It provides information and education to patients, makes them aware of available treatments and leads them to seek care, especially important for underdiagnosed conditions.”

— Abby Alpert, Health Economist, Wharton School

“Pharmaceutical ads hooked this country on prescription drugs.”

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services Secretary

What’s next

The FDA is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to allow Novo Nordisk to continue airing the TV ad for its new oral Wegovy medication that the agency has deemed false and misleading.

The takeaway

The debate over direct-to-consumer drug ads highlights the complex tradeoffs between empowering patients and encouraging overuse of costly new medications. As the population ages and prescription drug use rises, this issue will likely remain a focus of ongoing policy discussions and legal battles.