Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19425

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

Vacca C, Vargas C, Cañás M, Reveiz L
[Drug advertising and promotion: regulations and extent of compliance in five Latin American countries].
Rev Panam Salud Publica 2011 Feb; 29:(2):76-83
http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?pid=S1020-49892011000200002&script=sci_abstract

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To analyze differing
regulations regarding drug
promotion, and the extent of
compliance as seen in samples of
advertising directed to the public
in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador,
Nicaragua, and Peru.

METHODS: A total of 683 pieces of
promotional material on display in
health facilities, pharmacies, and
on the street were collected, 132 of
which were randomly selected for
analysis. The regulations governing
pharmaceutical advertising, taken
from official websites and
interviews with regulatory officials
and Ministry of Health staff in the
five countries covered, were
reviewed, along with their adherence
to the ethical criteria of the World
Health Organization (WHO). The
contents of the materials in the
sample were evaluated to determine
their degree of compliance with
national regulations and WHO
recommendations on drug promotion.

RESULTS: The countries have
regulations incorporating WHO
ethical criteria. Over 80% of the
material analyzed included the
indications for the drug, while over
70% omitted information on adverse
effects. Fifty percent of the
advertisements for overthe-counter
(OTC) drugs on display in pharmacies
listed indications not approved by
the relevant health authority. In
advertising in pharmacies, the risks
from inadequate information were not
found to differ significantly for
OTC or prescription medications.
Compared with materials provided in
health facilities, the relative risk
of the absence of information on
dosage in the material distributed
in pharmacies was 2.08 (confidence
interval 95% 1.32-3.39).

CONCLUSIONS: Although regulations on
drug promotion and advertising in
the five countries studied generally
incorporate the WHO recommendations,
promotional materials often fail to
reflect the fact.