It’s the Law: Another Brick in the Wall—DC Enacts Law Regulating Pharmaceutical Marketing

On 25 April 2008, the SafeRx Amendment Act of 2008 went into effect after having narrowly passed the District of Columbia Council (DC Council) earlier this year.¹ The act has the potential to significantly impact how pharmaceuticals are marketed and prescribed in Washington, DC (the District). In part, the act makes DC's 3,000-4,000 pharmaceutical detailers the first in the nation to need a license to market pharmaceuticals to licensed health professionals or their employees.² The act also requires physicians to explain any off-label use of pharmaceuticals to patients and establishes a program to educate the District's prescribers about cheaper prescription options.³