Abstract

In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eased restrictions on Direct-to-Consumer advertising, opening the way to additional promotion in broadcast media. At the same time, globally, internet usage began expanding at an exponential rate. In this article, we examine what has been learned after a decade of DTC advertising in the U.S. and the ethical implications for communicating about prescription drugs on the Worldwide Web, in an era where government regulation is problematic