1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
Outgunned FDA Tries to Get Tough on Drug Ads: Agency Warnings to Drugmakers Over Marketing Have Risen as Companies Get Creative Susan Heavey Lisa Richwine
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Sept. 3, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The 3,000-word story and additional factbox sidebar provided an in-depth look at the U.S. government's struggle to police pharmaceutical companies' increasingly aggressive efforts to market pills and other therapeutics to consumers. The story was inspired by a Food and Drug Administration letter that chided one company for throwing a Tupperware-like party pitch for an implanted birth-control device. The reporters revealed tactical, financial and technological problems that limit the FDA_s ability to rein in misleading claims amid a swelling number of promotions.
Significant findings included:
* FDA warnings for improper marketing more than doubled since 2008 under the Obama administration
* The FDA has just 57 FDA staff to monitor more than 75,000 promotions annually
* Creative promotions ranged from company-sponsored house parties with nurses making questionable pitches about birth control, an online musical featuring a 'Twilight' movie actor to lure teens, DVDs mailed to consumers and Facebook widgets
* Drugmakers spend nearly $5 billion a year to market their pills to consumers
* Companies targeted children with medicine-themed stuffed animals, games and books
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The investigation required combing through more than 250 written warnings issued by the FDA from 2008 to 2010. The reporters analyzed the letters for the most egregious and creative violations using the Internet, social media and other methods. They reviewed promotional materials provided on the FDA website and made extensive use of Internet sources such as YouTube to find discontinued advertisements. The reporters also collected data from media research firms to quantify the amount drugmakers spend promoting therapies to consumers.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
The story required several visits to the FDA's headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland to interview the agency's top marketing official as well as staff advertising reviewers, none of whom normally talk to the media. The reporters also tracked down people involved in the birth-control party for interviews. Additionally, reporters contacted various companies, industry representatives, and advertising experts and researchers.
6. Results (if any).
The special report shined a light on the agency at a time when it is finalizing new guidelines aimed at Internet and social media marketing efforts that were due at the end of 2010. It successfully drew attention to the issue; recently FDA said it needed more time to complete its guidelines. The story and an accompanying factbox was issued to all clients of Reuters, the global wire service reaches 1 billion people a day, and was highlighted as a top story on Reuters.com. The story also was prominently displayed on MSNBC.com, and was published on CNBC.com, NPR.org, Bloomberg Businessweek's Business Exchange service and Yahoo! Buzz. The story was widely circulated among industry sources, consumer groups and blogs and generated feedback.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No one has challenged the story's accuracy. The story was refiled the same day to correct the spelling of one drug name.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
* Carefully comb routine documents on government agency websites for story ideas.
* Dig for the best details to make the story memorable.
* Seek interviews with government workers who don't normally talk to the media.
* Stick with a project even if it takes several months.
* Take the time to include a sidebar such as a Factbox or Q&A to help guide readers through complex information