Food (and Drug) Labels

Source: NY Times

Food packages are clearly labeled with nutritional information so why shouldn't medications have plain language labels too?


Here is a perspective worth reading.


A significant information asymmetry exists between doctor-pharmaceutical company- patient. 


The proposal is to require fact boxes, similar to those that appear on food packaging, in every ad drug makers produce and along with every package of medication they sell. This would potentially minimize some of the information asymmetry and spin around the effectiveness of the drug.

Patients, consumers and physicians would likely support this measure. 

Pharmaceutical companies? Not so much.