Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4125

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

Tomson G, Weerasuriya K.
'Codes' and practice: information in drug advertisements--an example from Sri Lanka.
Soc Sci Med 1990; 31:(7):737-41

Abstract:

The amount of scientific information that should appear in an advertisement for a drug has been discussed for over 20 years. The information should promote the rational use of the drug. There is a lack of data from developing countries. We analysed all drug advertisements in the Ceylon Medical Journal (CMJ) 1985-1986. Conformity with the existing WHO guidelines and IFPMA code was also assessed. The 111 advertisements constituted 42% of the pages in the CMJ. Thirty-one of 34 companies were from the industrialized nations. Twenty-one per cent of the advertisements did not have the generic name; 94% had information on indications, whereas only 23 and 22% had information on adverse effects and contraindications. Only 16% provided information on generic name, indications, dosage, adverse effects and contraindications. Despite this 68% satisfied the criteria of the WHO guidelines and IFPMA code mainly under an ill defined ‘reminder advertisement’ clause. The existing guidelines are insufficient to ensure the minimum scientific information in drug advertisements.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/Sri Lanka/developing countries/journal advertisements/quality of information/ Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion/ Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (IFPMA)/ IFPMA/ International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations/ WHO/ World Health Organization/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: COMPLIANCE, SANCTIONS, STANDARDS/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: INTERNATIONAL CODES Advertising/methods* Drug Industry* Publishing Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Sri Lanka

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Far too large a section of the treatment of disease is to-day controlled by the big manufacturing pharmacists, who have enslaved us in a plausible pseudo-science...
The blind faith which some men have in medicines illustrates too often the greatest of all human capacities - the capacity for self deception...
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we need a stern, iconoclastic spirit which leads, not to nihilism, but to an active skepticism - not the passive skepticism, born of despair, but the active skepticism born of a knowledge that recognizes its limitations and knows full well that only in this attitude of mind can true progress be made.
- William Osler 1909