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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 771 By: Deevers
58	58
59	59
60	60
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65	An Act relating to advertising; stating findings and
66	66	declarations; defining terms; prohibiting certain
67	67	direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical
68	68	companies; listing prohibited acts; creating felony
69	69	offense; providing exceptions; providing for
70	70	noncodification; providing for codification;
71	71	providing an effective date; and declaring an
72	72	emergency.
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77	77	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE O F THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
78	78	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new sect ion of law not to be
79	79	codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
80	80	The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma finds and declares:
81	81	1. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising has the potential to
82	82	exploit lay understanding of medical science, exposing the public to
83	83	persuasive marketing tactics that may compromise informed decision -
84	84	making, mislead consumers by underplaying risks, and cause undue
85	85	burden on physicians ’ prescribing practices; and
86	86	2. Past instances of misleading DTC pharmaceutical advertising
87	87	have resulted in immense harm to public health such as the
88	88	aggressive advertising campaigns for OxyContin, Vioxx, and Zyprexa.
89	89
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140	140	Purdue Pharma’s OxyContin advertising played a huge part in the
141	141	opioid addiction crisis and the company settled with the United
142	142	States Department of Justice for Eight Billion Three Hundred Million
143	143	Dollars ($8,300,000,000.00) for their role in 2020. In 2019, Purdue
144	144	settled with Oklahoma for Two Hundred Seventy Million Dollars
145	145	($270,000,000.00);
146	146	3. Newly approved medications advertis ed directly to consumers
147	147	may present unknown long -term risks, exposing patients to potential
148	148	harm, such as with the Vioxx debacle which resulted in Merck paying
149	149	Four Billion Eight Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($4,850,000,000.00)
150	150	to end the lawsuits;
151	151	4. The United States is one of only two countries globally that
152	152	permits DTC pharmaceutical advertising. One hundred ninety-three
153	153	out of the world’s one hundred ninety-five countries do not permit
154	154	DTC pharmaceutical advertising. Prohibiting this practice woul d
155	155	align Oklahoma with the global norm;
156	156	5. The costs of advertising are frequently passed on to
157	157	consumers in a field where such advertising is not necessary, with
158	158	advertising budgets for some drugs in the hundreds of millions of
159	159	dollars, resulting in higher drug prices and imposing financial
160	160	burdens on patients and health care systems;
161	161	6. DTC advertising could compromise the integrity of the
162	162	doctor-patient relationship by creatin g improper pressure on doctors
163	163	to prescribe certain advertised medications. B anning DTC
164	164
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215	215	pharmaceutical advertising would encourage better communication and
216	216	trust between patients and their health care providers, fostering
217	217	informed and responsible medical decision-making;
218	218	7. DTC advertising often prioritizes the promotion of lifestyle
219	219	medications over essential, life -saving drugs, distorting health
220	220	care priorities; and
221	221	8. DTC advertising promotes the over -medicalization of common
222	222	conditions, often urging consumers to pursue pharmacological
223	223	solutions over alternative treatments or l ifestyle modifications.
224	224	SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
225	225	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 9000 of Title 63, unless there
226	226	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
227	227	As used in this act:
228	228	1. “Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising ” refers to
229	229	any promotional communication targeting consumers including, but not
230	230	limited to, television, radio, print media, digital pla tforms, and
231	231	social media, that markets prescription drugs; and
232	232	2. “Pharmaceutical companies” refers to entities involved in
233	233	the research, development, production, or distribution of
234	234	prescription drugs.
235	235	SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new sect ion of law to be codified
236	236	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 9001 of Title 63, unless there
237	237	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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289	289	A. No pharmaceutical company shall engage in direct -to-consumer
290	290	advertising of prescription drugs within this state.
291	291	B. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:
292	292	1. Broadcasting advertisements for prescription drugs via
293	293	television, radio, online streaming services, billboards, email,
294	294	text messaging, or social media;
295	295	2. Publishing advertisement s for prescription drugs in print or
296	296	digital publications distributed within Oklahoma; and
297	297	3. Targeting Oklahoma residents with prescription drug
298	298	advertisements through digital or social media platforms.
299	299	SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new se ction of law to be codified
300	300	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 9002 of Title 63, unless there
301	301	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
302	302	A. Any individual or entity violating the provisions of this
303	303	act shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony.
304	304	B. A felony conviction under this act shall be punishable by a
305	305	fine not exceeding Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) or
306	306	imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a
307	307	term not exceeding five (5) years, or by both such fine and
308	308	imprisonment.
309	309	C. Each instance of prohibited advertising shall cons titute a
310	310	separate offense.
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362	362	SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
363	363	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 9003 of Title 63, unless there
364	364	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
365	365	This act shall not apply to:
366	366	1. Educational materials distributed by health care providers
367	367	directly to their patients;
368	368	2. Internal communications within health care organizations;
369	369	3. Communications req uired by federal or state law;
370	370	4. Advertisements related to public health cam paigns that
371	371	educate the public about medication, treatments, and health
372	372	conditions, provided they are not promoting a specific
373	373	pharmaceutical product;
374	374	5. Advertisements that pro mote clinical trials or other
375	375	research opportunities related to prescription drugs, provided that
376	376	they comply with ethical and legal standards and are not promoting
377	377	the use of the drug outside of a controlled trial setting;
378	378	6. Advertisements that inform c onsumers about insurance
379	379	coverage for prescription drugs, such as coverage opt ions through
380	380	Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurers, provided these
381	381	advertisements do not directly promote specific drugs or brands; or
382	382	7. Advertisements or communications rela ted to patient
383	383	assistance programs that provide financial support or subsidies for
384	384	individuals who are unable to afford their medications, provided
385	385	these communications are not directly promoting a specific product.
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437	437	SECTION 6. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
438	438	SECTION 7. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
439	439	of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
440	440	declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
441	441	be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
442	442
443	443	60-1-1438 DC 1/15/2025 3:32:32 PM

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB771 Compare Versions