Inconsistent position on SSRI ads
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* David Cohen

Dr. Wayne Goodman, Chair of the Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is quoted at the beginning of Colin Meek's article1 as saying that he thinks ads about SSRIs stating that the drugs correct a serotonin “imbalance” are not based on scientific evidence and should be prohibited. At the end of the article, however, Dr. Goodman refuses to comment on whether the FDA should ban the ads and he endorses the admittedly unsupported claim that the drugs normalize some kind of chemical imbalance. These positions are clearly inconsistent, especially given that only the FDA has the explicit power and mandate to regulate drug ads in the United States.

For the general public, ads are crucial determinants of the perceived effects of drugs. Dr. Goodman's comments illustrate that, despite a vast drug regulatory bureaucracy, profit-focused manufacturers can make whatever claims they like about their products, with no attention to scientific evidence and no real fear of consequences. A similar situation existed about 100 years ago, during the era of “patent medicines.” This is just one more sign that the adman is rapidly replacing the physician as the true intermediary between patients and their drugs.

## Footnotes

*   **Competing interests:** None declared.

## REFERENCE

1.  1. Meek C. SSRI ads questioned. CMAJ 2006;174(6):754.
    
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