FDA ad hotline

Executive Summary

As of Aug. 2, FDA received 2,016 calls or an average of 44 a week, FDA Medicine Staff Director Peter Rheinstein, MD, tells FDLI Sept. 14. The 800-number was set up in September 1991 primarily to handle complaints about promotions, but Rheinstein notes that "a relatively small percentage, just under 10%" of calls concern marketing and advertising. About 63% concern drug approval or usage questions and quite a number concern medication errors. Reviewing calls between May 4 and Aug. 2, FDA found 21% of calls came from pharmacists, 19% from physicians, 13% from consumers, 12% from nurses and 1% from veterinarians.