Senators’ proposed bill takes aim at influencers and telehealth companies with misleading drug ads

The news: Two US senators have drafted bipartisan legislation that would authorize the FDA to impose fines on social media influencers and telehealth companies for posting false information online about prescription drugs.

  • The Protecting Patients from Deceptive Drug Ads Online Act is being proposed by Sens. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) and Mike Braun (R., Ind.).
  • The same two senators sent a letter to the FDA earlier this year urging the agency to regulate prescription drug ads more strictly on social media.