The Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP)
Office Location
10903 New Hampshire Ave., Building 51, Room 3203
Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002
Phone and Fax Numbers
Phone: 301-796-1200
Fax: 301-847-8444 or 301-847-8445
Mission
OPDP protects the public health by helping to ensure that prescription drug promotion is truthful, balanced, and accurately communicated. This is accomplished through comprehensive surveillance, compliance, and education programs, and by fostering better communication of labeling and promotional information to both healthcare providers and consumers.
Core Launch Updates
On November 20, 2020, OPDP hosted a webinar to provide an overview of the upcoming changes to the OPDP Core Launch Review process. The webinar will provide information to:
- Identify promotional materials that qualify for Core Launch Review within the OPDP Advisory Process
- Understand the changes to the Core Launch Review process and incorporate those changes into existing promotional material development strategies
- Utilize the various resources provided by OPDP to support the Core Launch Review process
The recorded webinar is available at the link below.
Update on non-eCTD Submissions to OPDP
Recognizing that some submissions will be exempt from the eCTD requirement (i.e. Advisory Submissions, Amendments, Response to Information Requests, etc), CDER is providing an alternate electronic submission pathway to sponsors or applicants. OPDP encourages submissions to be made electronically via CDER NextGen Portal for submissions covered under such exemptions rather than paper or physical media.
For information on how to organize a submission covered under such exemptions, please refer to the Providing Regulatory Submissions in Alternate Electronic Format; Draft Guidance for Industry. Please note the draft guidance says to submit via ESG, however, CDER has since opened the CDER NextGen Portal to accept these submissions as well.
For additional information on the promotional submissions which will be exempt from eCTD submission requirements and the contents of those submissions, please refer to the Providing Regulatory Submissions in Electronic and Non-Electronic Format – Promotional Labeling and Advertising Materials for Human Prescription Drugs; Final Guidance for Industry.
Any questions related to the submission of promotional materials to CDER may be directed to OPDPeCTD@fda.hhs.gov
The Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) reminds you to use the current Form FDA-2253 [PDF] and instructions [PDF]. Visit the OPDP Form FDA-2253 and Request for Advisory Comment Submissions page for additional information.
If you have problems opening a PDF form in your browser, try downloading it instead:
- Right-click the form link.
- Click the Save option. (On most browsers, this is the Save Link As option)
You may also need to upgrade your version of Adobe Reader.
Information About What OPDP Reviewers Do
OPDP reviewers have the responsibility for reviewing prescription drug advertising and promotional labeling to ensure that the information contained in these promotional materials is not false or misleading. They engage in a variety of tasks to perform this responsibility, including: providing written comments to pharmaceutical sponsors on proposed promotional materials to ensure clear and unambiguous communication of the laws and regulations relating to prescription drug promotion; reviewing complaints about alleged promotional violations; initiating compliance actions on promotional materials that are false or misleading; comparing the product labeling and promotional materials of various closely related products to ensure that the regulatory requirements are consistently and equitably applied; traveling to major medical meetings and pharmaceutical conventions to monitor promotional exhibits and activities; and acting as a liaison between OPDP and other divisions within the FDA on promotional issues.
Providing Regulatory Submissions in Electronic and Non-Electronic Format
Please see the guidance (PDF) for information on electronic (including eCTD) and non-electronic submissions. FDA began accepting eCTD submissions using the new M1 specifications as of June 15, 2015. Please refer to the eCTD webpage for details.
For technical questions on eCTD format for CDER, please refer to the eCTD webpage or contact esub@fda.hhs.gov. For questions regarding the guidance or eCTD submissions to OPDP, please contact OPDPeCTD@fda.hhs.gov.
The Bad Ad Program
FDA's Bad Ad program is an outreach program designed to help healthcare providers recognize potentially false or misleading prescription drug promotion. The program’s goal is to raise awareness among healthcare providers including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and trainees about potentially false or misleading prescription drug promotion while also providing them with an easy way to report it to the Agency.
OPDP Submission Information
- OPDP Form FDA 2253 and Request for Advisory Comment Submissions
- OPDP Complaints
- Electronic (including eCTD) and Non-Electronic Submissions
OPDP Resources
- OPDP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- For Industry: Using Social Media
- OPDP Research
- Contact OPDP
- OPDP Regulatory Information
- Truthful Prescription Drug Advertising and Promotion
- OPDP Metrics
- OPDP eCTD