The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is now enlisting doctors to be its eyes and ears in its efforts to stop misleading drug advertisements.

As part of its "Bad Ad Program," launched Tuesday, the agency will ask doctors to help report on TV, print and radio advertisements, as well as brochures, sales talks or pamphlets that downplay a drug's risks, overstate its benefits or promote off-label use.

"The Bad Ad Program will help health care providers recognize misleading prescription drug promotion and provide them with an easy way to report this activity to the agency," said Thomas Abrams, director of the FDA's Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications, in a statement.

The program will roll out in three phases. In the first phase, the FDA will target specific medical conventions and societies, with the first convention the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on May 15, an FDA spokeswoman told DOTmed.

The FDA said it traditionally regulates ads by reviewing promotional material companies submit to them, investigating complaints or conducting surveillance at large trade shows.

"Although these efforts are effective, the agency has limited ability to monitor promotional activities that occur in private," the FDA said.

Doctors can report anonymously by emailing badad(at)fda.gov or calling 877-RX-DDMAC

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