By Kasia Mulligan, Patients Come First’s National Spokesperson
As a mother, I know how easy it can be to feel overwhelmed by what you see on TV and online. Every day brings a new warning that something we use or rely on is a hidden danger.
So when late-night commercials target the very medicines sitting in our family’s medicine cabinet, my first reaction is anxiety. For many of these ads, instilling fear and confusion among everyday consumers is no accident; it is the entire business model.
We hear plenty of policy debates about how traditional health and pharmaceutical advertising is regulated. Drug ads face strict federal oversight through the Food and Drug Administration. They must present a balanced assessment of risks alongside benefits, be scientifically accurate and adhere to clear compliance standards.
Yet an entirely different kind of medication-focused ad floods our airwaves, faces zero comparable federal review and operates in a regulatory Wild West: legal services advertising.
According to new figures from the American Tort Reform Association, legal services advertisers spent $4 billion on 30 million ads last year alone. Even more concerning: That represents a surge of more than 40% over 2024 spending.
Read the full op-ed in Washington Times here.