Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3399

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

Greenhalgh T.
Beneath cosmetic reforms
HAI News 1986 Oct;

Abstract:

In India there are still examples of inexcusable marketing behaviour by multinational companies of useless and/or dangerous drugs, but it appears to be diminishing. This practice is being replaced by one whose effects are more insidious and at least as dangerous-the inappropriate prescription of drugs which are useful in certain circumstances but contraindicated in others. The author gives four examples of this. In rural India postgraduate medical education is the unchallenged province of sales representatives, many of whom are paid only by commission on the drugs that they sell.

Keywords:
*analysis/India/developing countries/sales representatives/quality of information/dangerous drugs/doctors/continuing medical education/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: GENERAL QUALITY OF INFORMATION/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL DRUGS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: DIRECT GOVERNMENT REGULATION