Healthy Skepticism Library item: 11123

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

Xenical ad ban remains
Pharmacy Daily (Australia) - registration required 2007 Aug 9
http://www.pharmacydaily.com.au

Full text:

THE National Drugs and Poisons Scheduling Committee has confirmed its earlier decision to ban consumer advertising of Roche’s Xenical.

The minutes of the NDPSC’s Jun meeting, published yesterday, detail extensive discussion of submissions relating to Xenical, including letters from over 600 pharmacists pledging they would
“provide adequate counselling and information to consumers for whom orlistat is appropriate”.

Other submissions detailed the potential public health benefit of orlistat, the small sample of
pharmacies in the Choice ‘mystery shop’ which led to the advertising withdrawal last year, and the drug’s ability to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Opposing submissions argued the consumer ads led to “inappropriate disensing pressure on pharmacists and had the potential to mislead customers”.

The committee concluded that direct-to-consumer advertising of Xenical had the potential to “lead
to inappropriate patterns of use,” worsening its risk-benefit balance and so “felt it necessary to
protect public health” by banning the Appendix H listing of orlistat.

The decision now becomes effective 01 Oct 07.