Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2479

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

Collier J, Iheanacho I.
The pharmaceutical industry as an informant.
Lancet 2002 Nov 2; 360:(9343):1405-9
http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol/iss/full/llan.360.9343.editorial_and_review.22976.1

Abstract:

The pharmaceutical industry spends more time and resources on generation, collation, and dissemination of medical information than it does on production of medicines. This information is essential as a resource for development of medicines, but is also needed to satisfy licensing requirements, protect patents, promote sales, and advise patients, prescribers, and dispensers. Such information is of great commercial value, and most of it is confidential, protected by regulations about intellectual property rights. Through their generation and dissemination of information, transnational companies can greatly influence clinical practice. Sometimes, their commercially determined goals represent genuine advances in health-care provision, but most often they are implicated in excessive and costly production of information that is largely kept secret, often duplicated, and can risk undermining the best interests of patients and society.

Keywords:
Drug Industry/organization & administration* Drug Information Services/organization & administration* Health Promotion Humans Male Research* *analysis United Kingdom INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRY: DOCTORS INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRY: PATIENTS AND CONSUMERS INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRY: PHARMACISTS INFORMATION FROM INDUSTRY: REGULATORY AUTHORITIES