Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2845

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

Kales A, Kales JD.
Shortcomings in the evaluation and promotion of hypnotic drugs
New England Journal of Medicine 1975; 293:826-827

Abstract:

One of the primary problems in the labeling and promotion of hypnotic drugs is that blanket statements are made regarding effectiveness without specifying the duration of effectiveness. Since pharmaceutical firms are allowed to make such sweeping implications based on data from only one or two nights of drug administration, the firms are not motivated to begin longer term studies. Pharmaceutical firms too often infer misleading implications or conclusions from sleep-stage data from sleep laboratory hypnotic drug trials.

Keywords:
*editorial/promotional literature/quality of information/hypnotic/ drug company sponsored research/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/PROMOTION IN SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC AREAS: PSYCHIATRIC DISEASES/SPONSORSHIP: RESEARCH