DOH warns of misleading drug advertising on radio

Consumers who purchase medicines promoted on local radio stations may fall victim to false advertising, the Department of Health warned yesterday.

About 21 percent of the monitored drug ads on the nation's radio stations make false claims, according to the latest survey conducted by the department's Pharmaceutical Affairs Division.

"Almost one in four drug commercials is replete with bombast. In particular, we found that many traditional Chinese medicine products boasted the ability to miraculously cure heart diseases and liver problems [in their ads] on local radio stations," division Director Wang Hui-po (王惠珀) said in a press conference yesterday.

From January to March, the health authority recorded 103 hours of programming on 206 radio frequencies nationwide. In the meantime, 29 fraudulent drug advertisements were uncovered in southern Taiwan, while 19 and 18 misleading drug ads were found in central and northern Taiwan, respectively.

Unlike false drug ads on TV -- which often brag about their efficacy in reducing weight, whitening skin, enlarging breasts and increasing sexual potency, most of the misrepresented ads on radio cater to elderly people, who are often concerned about heart disease, hepatic failure and osteoarthritis.

"While the TV targets young urban females, local radio stations often broadcast drug commercials appealing to the elderly," Wang said.

As bogus ads run rampant on local radio stations, health officials urged consumers to exercise caution. False claims not only cheat consumers but also pose potential dangers to a consumer's health, officials said.

"For example, many traditional Chinese medicines that say they treat erectile dysfunction actually contain the same chemical formula as Viagra," Wang added. "The problem is that we don't know what kind of side effects the mixed medicines will trigger."

According to the health agency's analysis, traditional Chinese medicine products top the list of vaunted advertisements. Health food products trail shortly behind.

In a bid to equip consumers with sufficient knowledge, health officials have put all brands and names of misleading drugs on the Web site of the department, www.doh.gov.tw. People are also encouraged to report any suspected case of exaggerated drug advertisements to the hotline 0800-233-789.

Health officials warned that overstating drug advertisements is a violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (藥事法) and the Regulation of Health Food (食品衛生管理法). Drug manufacturers could face fines ranging from NT$30,000 up to NT$150,000 per misleading ad.

Radio stations who broadcast false drug ads could also be fined from NT$10,000 to NT$500,000 under the Broadcasting and Television Law (廣播電視法), Cable Television Law (有線廣播電視法 ) and the Satellite Broadcasting Law (衛星廣播電視法).

"We have asked the Directorate General of Telecommunications to monitor underground radio stations. Every year, we crack down on illegal advertisements and underground radio stations," said Tseng Yi-hung (曾一弘), the deputy director of department of broadcasting affairs under the Government Information Office.

Since the fine hardly outstrips an ad's possible revenue, the department is pushing ahead with revisions to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law to raise the maximum penalty to NT$25 million.

"We hope a higher penalty could help deter drug manufacturers from posting false advertisements," Wang said.