Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20083

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: Magazine

Limprecht E
Critic prompts review of pharma ads
Australian Doctor 2005 Apr 226
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/critic-prompts-review-of-pharma-ads

Full text:

Medicines

Australia is planning to review its regulation of pharmaceutical advertising on prescribing software, in light of concerns that a significant proportion of the drug ads are contravening industry standards.

Medicines Australia executives recently met with Dr Ken Harvey, senior lecturer in public health at Melbourne’s La Trobe University and long-time critic of pharmaceutical advertising, to discuss his concerns over the apparent lack of regulation of prescribing software advertising by drug companies.

Dr Harvey said Medicines Australia regulations required manufacturers to include information on drugs’ PBS listings, including any restrictions, on all ads for PBS-listed drugs that include a promotional claim. They also require references to support the promotional claim.

However, more than half of advertisements he studied on Medical Director software that fell into this category failed to include the required information.

“There appears to be a conflict between what you read on the code and what is included in the advertisements,” Dr Harvey said.

“I don’t think Medicines Australia’s procedures for monitoring compliance with the code are worth a cracker.”

Dr Harvey has submitted a complaint to the Medicines Australia code of conduct committee about several advertisements on Medical Director.

Medicines Australia manager of marketing studies Ms Heather Jones said the complaints would be considered by both the code of conduct committee and a review panel, which is reviewing the code.

In addition the monitoring committee would review regulation of drug advertising on prescribing software in coming months, Ms Jones said.

“Once the matter is investigated the code review panel will make recommendations to the industry,” she said.