Opinion - Is this the end of costly and harmful pharmaceutical advertising?

The U.S. is essentially the only country that allows direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads — and bipartisan political pressure is mounting to curb or ban them.
Lawmakers are proposing bans or eliminating tax deductions for pharma ads, arguing the ads drive up drug prices and are paid for by taxpayers.
Critics say ads steer patients to expensive branded drugs and weaken doctor-patient decision-making; the industry will fight back on free‑speech and “consumer awareness” grounds.