Trump effort to target television drug ads could have massive implications

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

09/14/25 6:00 AM ET


An effort by President Trump’s administration to curb advertising for pharmaceutical drugs on television is posing a potential marketing hurdle for some of the country’s largest drugmakers while threatening a key revenue stream for media companies.

Advertising and pharmaceutical industry experts say an executive order Trump signed this week could pose an existential threat to the business model of both drugmakers and the media companies which raked in an estimated $5 billion in advertising revenue from pharmaceutical companies in 2024.

The order instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure “transparency and accuracy” in direct-to-consumer advertising, including requiring greater disclosures of side effects in television and other ads. The order stops short of directing an outright ban on drug advertisements, though HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for a wholesale end to direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs.

“This is a shot across the bow from the administration telling these companies we’re watching you, get your act together or we’re going to come after you,” said Robin Feldman, an expert in health law and a professor at the University of California. “The tone of the message matters as much as the language here.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5500949-trump-administration-pharma-advertising-curbs/

[Irish_Dem]

1. I guess the drug companies are not offering Trump big enough bribes.

He is putting the pressure on them.
He wants a cut of the drug company profits.

[underpants]

5. Yep. Shaking them down for money. Contribute to his ballroom or "library"

[Bayard]

2. I hate those ads myself

They're just obnoxious. But I could see this being another trump scam. Not like he'd do anything to benefit us.

On a side note: Who the hell NAMES these drugs?!

[underpants]

4. All have an x y or z in them.

Almost all.

[BadgerKid]

10. They make it easier to trademark the name.

Trademarks cannot be common or scientific words.

[underpants]

13. I didn't know that. Thanks.

[Irish_Dem]

6. Trump could not care less about these ads or what bothers the people.

He only does things that personally benefit himself in some way.

[Lucky Luciano]

14. He watches tv every waking hour. He hates the ads too!

[underpants]

3. This was one of John Edward's main issues in 2004

Drug companies didn’t used to be able advertise on TV. The original ads were generic and only mentioned the drugs name. Then pharma said they wanted to tell what it was for. A compromise was made - they could describe what the drug did BUT they also had to list the possible side effects.

The goal, as with any advertising, is to increase demand. The goal here was for patients to ask their doctor about specific drugs. If the doctor didn’t go along often bathe patient found another doctor. Doctor & drug shopping.

Pharma both paid doctors to actively prescribe their drug AND got media reliant on their ad money.

[bedazzled]

16. Drug ads don't do patients any favors

Not only are they annoying, I imagine the cost of drugs has increased significantly because of what these horrible ads cost. I worked in drug advertising long ago. You couldn't do a magazine ad without printing the entire package insert with adverse reactions. Some of those are very long. It's necessary information i think...

[Irish_Dem]

7. For every single grift, Trump has a clever PR angle to disguise his crimes.

He only does things which benefit himself in some way.

[PSPS]

8. "get your act together or we're going to come after you" means "I demand my vig!"

[EYESORE 9001]

9. Not one stinking pharma ad will suffer as a result

Rump don’t GAF about public health. He’s shaking down big pharma IMO.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

11. All those ads, all those soon to be unemployed dancers!

[2na fisherman]

12. The reason for direct to consumer drug ads

I always wondered about the rise of these drug ads and their purpose. I believe it might be related to protecting big pharma against law suits claiming harms to consumers. At trial the pharma lawyers will claim you were informed about the possible side effects since you watched these ads on TV. Therefore you were given adequate notice of side effects and you have given your implied consent to accept those risks associated to taking the medication. So the ads may be a good investment in avoiding liability. Case dismissed?

[Martin68]

15. I think prescription drug advertising should be banned, and doctors would be given the responsibility to keep informed

about prescription drugs. Marketing costs are one of the reasons medicine is so expensive.

[ananda]

17. I wonder how much he'll get from them...

for changing his mind.

[Cheezoholic]

18. There's something more sinister here. Those drug ads are a major financial source for MSNBC's evening line up

Its well known FatFuck watches more TV than a 70's 10 year old on Saturday morning. This could put a major hurt on the only left leaning cable news/opinion network left at a time when they need it most whilst in the process of being cleaved off of their parent companies leg. This seems like old 80's spy craft shit. Like Pooty fed it to him.
Just my HO

FF!!!

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. Are there many ads for non-drug "supplements" etc. that the loon in charge of HHS would favour?

I'd think "transparency and accuracy" are much more of a problem for supplements than for regulated pharmaceuticals. But Brainworm Bob love him some snakeoil, so I suspect he'll let them go, while coming down on drugs with actual effects.

[GB_RN]

20. Existential Threat?

I call bullshit. How long did they go without direct-to-consumer (aka, bug your doctor) ads? Both the media and Big Pharma made money before, and they will continue to do so.

FYI, we are one of only two countries in the world that allow direct pharmaceutical advertising. The other is New Zealand. And we pay far more than the rest of the world for the exact same drugs.

Big Pharma and the media can get fucked. Sick of the lying and half (at best) truths.

[eringer]

21. This is Complete Nonsence

If the convicted felon has a problem with the ads, he can request MSNBC to stream Lawrence O’Donnell without commercials directly to his bedroom in the White House.

[msongs]

22. purpose of ads is to get sick people to demand their doctors prescribe drugs from the ads