Healthy Skepticism Library item: 16377

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

Rahmewati F
Nonprescription Drug Promotion in Mass-Media Print Publication in Indonesia
Malaysian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 2007; 5:(1):1–6
http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=abstract&id=541265

Abstract:

The objectives of the study were to identify whether nonprescription drug promotion in mass-media
print publications in Indonesia complied with the regulations of “Keputusan Menteri Kesehatan No.
386/Men.Kes/SK/IV/1994” on drug promotion and WHO Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug
Promotion, as well as to identify the type of information given to consumers. The study was conducted
by random sampling of 110 advertisements from mass-media print publications from the year 2000
until 2004. The results of the study showed that only 1.8% of nonprescription drug advertisements
complied with the regulations. The type of information advertised to consumers was the active
ingredient(s) (80.9%), major indications for use (98.2%), major precautions (9.1%), contra-indications
(5.4%), side effects (20.9%), the name of the product or the brand name (100%), name of manufacturer
or distributor (93.6%), address of manufacturer/distributor (45.5%), dosage (80.9%), and registration
number (82.7%). Our findings showed that 27.3% advertisements did not list the active ingredient(s)
completely or used no International Nonproprietary Name (INN), and 44.5% advertisements contained
claims of product effectiveness that were unsupported by clinical or other scientific evidence.

Keywords:
Nonprescription medicine, Drug promotion, Advertisements