Healthy Skepticism Library item: 1451

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Beales JH 3rd, MacLeod WC.
Assessments of pharmaceutical advertisements: a critical analysis of the criticism.
Food Drug Law J 1995; 50:(3):415-49

Abstract:

There has been no demonstration that there is a serious problem with pharmaceutical advertising or a flaw in the FDA’s performance in protecting against misleading advertising. The most significant survey of pharmaceutical advertising to date, the Wilkes study, failed to report results with generally accepted levels of significance. Given the current evidence, it cannot be concluded that the nation’s physicians are being misled by pharmaceutical advertisements in medical journals. On one issue, there is widespread agreement, which the Wilkes study’s authors share: pharmaceutical advertising delivers important information to physicians, who can put this information to work healing patients. Unless and until it can be demonstrated that an advertisement misleads physicians, the information it communicates should not be suppressed by reviewers.

Keywords:
*analysis United States journal advertisements Food and Drug Administration FDA value of promotion regulation of promotion industry perspective ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: INDUSTRY EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: DIRECT GOVERNMENT REGULATION