Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6482

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

Woosley RL.
A prescription for better prescriptions.
Issues Sci Technol 1994 Spr; 10:(3):59-66

Abstract:

Pharmaceutical companies spend over $11 billion annually on promoting their products because most new drugs differ only subtly from that of other drugs in the same class. Industry marketing efforts add an average of 22 percent to the cost of every prescription. Since much of the scientific literature is funded by companies this does not provide an effective balance to the marketing information provided by the companies themselves. A variety of evidence suggests that pharmaceutical industry promotion encourages undesirable prescribing practices. One solution is the establishment of federally funded regional centres for education and research in therapeutics (CERTS) which would be administered by the FDA.

Keywords:
*analysis/United States/quality of prescribing/quality of information/source of information/drug company sponsored research/Centers for Education and Research in Therapeutics/promotion costs and volume/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: GENERAL QUALITY OF INFORMATION/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/SPONSORSHIP: RESEARCH/VOLUME OF AND EXPENDITURE ON PROMOTION Advertising/economics Drug Costs Drug Industry/economics* Drug Industry/legislation & jurisprudence Drug Information Services/standards* Drug Therapy/standards* Education, Medical, Continuing/organization & administration Financing, Government Humans Pharmacology, Clinical/education Research Support Training Support United States United States Food and Drug Administration