• June 18, 2009

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) is mobilizing its members to urge Congress to preserve the tax deductibility of prescription drug advertising costs.

Leading members of the House Ways and Means Committee are considering a proposal that would eliminate the tax deductibility for prescription medications, while a similar proposal is gaining traction in the Senate Finance Committee.

"Denying the tax deduction for advertising costs for one industry would be unprecedented, and would raise very serious First Amendment concerns," says Dan Jaffe, Executive Vice President, government relations, ANA, in a statement. "The Supreme Court has made clear that differential taxes on the basis of the content of an ad are unconstitutional."

Several studies indicate that medical advertising directly benefits consumers. The Centers for Disease Control have said that advertising helps reduce undiagnosed and under-treated medical conditions. This includes the 6 million Americans who suffer from diabetes but have not been diagnosed, and the 18 million Americans who are unaware that they are suffering from the "silent killer" high blood pressure. --Tanya Irwin