I just received an email message from the FDA thanking me for calling their attention to a “technical glitch” in the auto-response to submissions to its “BadAd” program (see email message reproduced below; click on it for an enlarged view).
It’s gratifying to know that I have been of service to my country. I wonder, however, why this “glitch” wasn’t noticed until now. The BadAd program was launched by the FDA in May 2010 (see press release).
It’s impossible to know how many people/HCPs like me submitted a report about a potential violation in drug promotion by sending an email to badad@fda.gov or calling 877-RX-DDMAC. “While we cannot provide status updates on ongoing investigations to persons outside the Agency,” says the FDA, “health care providers can subscribe to our e-mail updates to receive information about the program and notifications of actions taken as a result of the program.”
It appears that I have been subscribed for quite some time, but have not received any notices until today. It reminds me of the time I submitted a complaint to PhRMA’s Office of Accountability (see “PhRMA’s Response – PRwise, it Stinks!“).
