BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

This spring, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent letters to 14 pharmaceutical companies warning them that failing to include risk information in Google adwords postings could lead to trouble. As anyone who' s ever googled "acid reflux," "high cholesterol," or "hypertension" probably knows, there is simply no way to fit that kind of detailed information into the 70-character space that Google provides - even if the fine print could be made even finer.

So, what is the pharmaceutical industry to do? It certainly can' t turn its back on search engine advertising. It can' t mess with FDA-approved disclaimer language. Expanding the size of Google adword postings is not an option.

A few creative solutions have emerged, such as the use of "redirect URLs" that hide the fact that viewers of a Google ad will be directed to a branded pharmaceutical site. Some Google drug ads even omit the name of the drug or the condition it is intended to treat. But these are likely to be just short terms solutions, as it is probably only a matter of time before a consumer-oriented FDA calls out those practices for lacking transparency as well.

The regulations that now govern direct-to-consumer drug advertising have evolved over many years and reflect many compromises between drug companies and regulators. Unfortunately for all concerned, the growing importance of online advertising is rapidly rendering those regulations out of place in the real world.

That being said, there is still no easy solution. Trying to enforce yesterday' s print and broadcast regulations in today' s online world is a waste of time. Ignoring the fact that Google ads are too brief to include the kind of wordy disclaimer that the FDA would prefer is plain silly. Abandoning oversight of online drug advertising could be dangerous.

In order to avoid a regulatory battle that would make regulators look foolish and leave drug companies without an increasingly valuable advertising vehicle, the two sides need to sit down and work out a reasonable and realistic compromise that reflects the realities of the digital age.

If regulators are willing to recognize that the world is changing, and if drug companies are willing to be reasonable in their dealings with their powerful FDA overseers, consumers will benefit. And that, after all, is what both sides should be most concerned about.

David Bartlett is a Senior Vice President at Levick Strategic Communications, an expert communications strategist and crisis manager, and a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog.