President Donald Trump is getting directly involved in the push against direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, which could signal large-scale changes to one of radio’s fastest-growing ad categories, stopping just short of a total ban on the vertical.
On Tuesday, President Trump signed a memorandum directing federal agencies to tighten enforcement of drug advertising rules.
The order instructs Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary to require fuller disclosure of risks and to ensure ads are not misleading. While not a full-on ban of pharma ads, the required length of these reads would make most of the industry’s advertisements entirely unfeasible.
Around 100 cease-and-desist letters and thousands of warning notices have reportedly been issued to pharmaceutical companies and online pharmacies. The White House also plans to scrutinize influencers and social media platforms for noncompliant promotions, saying the initiative will use existing FDA authority rather than seek new legislation.
Officials pointed to a February Super Bowl ad from Hims & Hers that promoted weight loss drugs “with really no mention of any potential harms” as an example of why stricter oversight is needed. Trump’s directive further calls for closing a 1997 FDA loophole that allowed advertisers to point viewers to websites for full risk disclosures rather than including them in broadcast spots.
The action follows a report from Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” commission, which calls for the HHS, FDA, FTC, and Department of Justice to coordinate enforcement. Trump previously attempted to rein in drug ads during his first term by requiring list prices in TV commercials, but a federal judge struck down the rule.
For broadcasters, the stakes are significant. Pharmaceutical advertising has grown into a reliable revenue stream for network radio.
Miller Kaplan data shows spending by pharmaceutical and drug store brands on AM/FM rose 59% between 2018 and 2022, reaching $151 million to become radio’s top network ad category. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, pharmaceutical companies spent more than $725 million promoting the ten most advertised drugs across platforms. During Labor Day week, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson were both in the top ten national advertisers on radio, per Media Monitors.
Tighter federal enforcement would carry immediate consequences for ad-supported media, especially at a time when revenue growth remains uncertain.
