Drug advertisers get principles.

They're getting them today, as a matter of fact, when the Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America (PHRMA) announce their new Guiding Principles for Direct to Consumer Advertising. Ad Age has the scoop, including the text of the document. The biz calls it DTC, of course, as opposed to Direct to Doctors, which the pharmas consider "education." The decibel level of protest had to reach about 80 to get the industry to flinch. Bristol Myers Squibb, to their credit, took the lead, volunteering to hold off on DTC ads on new drugs for two years after FDA approval. However, this is a principle the new list doesn't include. Ad Age is calling the whole thing "softball." Still, it's better than nothing, and they put it together in three months. Sounds like the Viagra-Cialis-Levitra, uh, hard sell competition is a central issue that got the self-regulation thing, er, up and running. We'll be watching. I mean, uh, staying alert. [Past post.]