Healthy Skepticism Library item: 1898

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

Saul S.
Drug Industry Proposes Limits on Advertising
New York Times 2005 Jul 22
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/22/business/media/22pharma.html

Keywords:
DTCA advertising ad campaign Bristol-Myers Squibb Consumers Union

Notes:

Ralph Faggotter’s Comments : Here is another article about plans by the pharmaceutical industry to reduce ‘direct to consumer advertising’ of new drugs.
For other articles on this subject see also HSL1984 and HSL1989. On the surface these plans sound promising but we are not convinced that the underlying motives are entirely altruistic.

Full text:

Drug Industry Proposes Limits on Advertising

By STEPHANIE SAUL
Published: July 22, 2005

Facing a reaction against consumer drug advertising, the pharmaceutical
industry moved toward self-policing yesterday, releasing draft guidelines
that endorse a period of informing doctors about new drugs before running
ads for them.

But the code stops short of setting a time span between a drug’s release and
the beginning of ads, as had been called for by industry critics who say
doctors need time to understand drugs before patients start asking for them.
The guidelines say only that drug makers should have “conversations with
physicians” before advertising new products.

It is unclear how far those conversations would go beyond current industry
efforts to educate doctors about new drugs. But Ken Johnson, a senior vice
president for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America,
said, “There’s a clear recognition by our companies that there should be an
appropriate period of time to educate physicians before any new ad campaign
begins.”

The guidelines, whose final wording is still being worked out, try to
address growing pressure from a variety of fronts, including Capitol Hill
and the American Medical Association, and even from within the industry
itself. Last month Bristol-Myers Squibb adopted its own voluntary 12-month
delay between product debut and advertising.

A large consumer group yesterday reacted with skepticism to the industry
guidelines. “It appears the pharmaceutical industry has produced a placebo
rather than supporting real reform of drug advertising,” said Rob Schneider
of Consumers Union, who called the guidelines primarily a good will gesture
aimed at calming Congress.

Details of the code will be disclosed at a news conference next month,
according to Mr. Johnson, who said the group had not worked out the
mechanics for one part of the plan: consumer complaints.

“We are working on a mechanism to receive comments and complaints from the
public and other health care professionals,” Mr. Johnson said.

The guidelines, adopted unanimously by the group’s board yesterday, also
call for TV ads appropriate for the audience and age, ads that promote
disease awareness, and ads that notify patients about low-cost drugs for the
uninsured.