WASHINGTON — President Trump directed health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to crack down on misleading direct-to-consumer drug advertisements in an executive order released Tuesday .

At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration said it would begin rulemaking to close a regulatory loophole that allows drug companies to direct patients to an external source instead of listing a drug’s full safety profile, including potentially serious side effects, in the advertisement itself. The agency also said it was sending thousands of warning letters to drug companies currently running “deceptive” ads, but did not share which companies.

“For far too long, the FDA has permitted misleading drug advertisements, distorting the doctor-patient relationship and creating increased demand for med

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