Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4353

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: news

Harvey K.
Pharmaceutical marketing
1992 Feb 21-23

Abstract:

While 15-20 of sales are spent on drug promotion by the pharmaceutical industry, only small amounts of money are spent on educating consumers about drugs. Pharmaceutical marketing depends more on skills of manipulation than on objective and balanced data. Doctors are frequently offered gifts and have conferences subsidized for them. There is also a double standard in promotion between industrialized and developing countries. If left unchecked pharmaceutical marketing can have serious consequences: older less expensive drugs are left unused in preference to newer, more expensive, more heavily promoted ones; there is irrational drug use leading to treatment failures. In response to criticism the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations implemented a code of marketing but the code has had little impact. Since 1988 the World Health Organization has had its Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion.

Keywords:
*analysis/developing countries/IFPMA/WHO/World Health Organization/International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations/regulation of promotion/gift giving/ sponsored symposia & conferences/ quality of prescribing/ prescribing costs/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: GIFT GIVING/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: PAYMENT FOR MEALS, ACCOMODATION, TRAVEL, ENTERTAINMENT/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES/PROMOTION DISGUISED: CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: INTERNATIONAL CODES