The Parliament, which voted 86-37 to override Adamkus, said information about prescription medicines should only be given by physicians. The ruling center-left majority spearheaded the vote to enforce the ban, which includes all forms of media, including newspapers, radio and television.
Adamkus, who was backed by opposition parties such as the Liberals and Conservatives, claimed the ban violates citizens' free access to information and their right to make informed decisions.
"It is a scandalous decision by Parliament, and it is harmful to the Lithuanian people. Information is necessary for everybody, and I cannot understand the purpose of this," Adamkus said after the decision.
Dangute Mikutiene, chairperson of the parliamentary health committee, defended the ban by saying patients and society at large may receive information about prescriptions from special medical journals and on the Internet.
She also said that information could be included in health stories in the media, but not in the form of advertisements.
Liberal MP Eligijus Masiulis said that the center-left backed decision might serve to promote the interests of contraband medicine.
"I'm afraid the ban on commercials might pave the way for a return to market for low-quality cheap medicines, which are produced in Russia," he said.
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