The AP (11/25, Perrone) reported, "The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to interview more than 1,500 consumers to decide whether television drug advertisements should urge patients to report side effects." Based on the interviews, the agency may decide to require "TV promotions to carry a toll-free number where patients can report serious problems with their medication," in an effort to "catch drug safety problems sooner." Under legislation passed last September, the FDA was supposed to "report to Congress by late March whether" contact information for the agency "should...be mandatory for TV ads." After requesting "more time to complete its work," however, the FDA is "expected to soon begin" its study. The agency will investigate whether such information "would overwhelm viewers" and will assess "how the placement, time, and wording of the statements affect comprehension."
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