Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4491

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

Jones DC.
Pricing and promotion come under scrutiny
Scrip Magazine 1992 Jun; (5):16-18
www.pjbpubs.co.uk/scrip/scrhome.html

Abstract:

There are now troubling allegations that companies manipulate medical education and the news to make claims that are not approved by regulatory authorities and that they disguise promotion as research. There is persuasive evidence that these are serious problems industry-wide. There is growing concern about a subtle, and therefore powerful bias, that is sometimes introduced into continuing medical education programs to favour the sponsor’s product. The Food and Drug Administration is now developing guidelines to clarify the difference between education and promotion. It is only biased marketing masquerading as education that is at risk through reform, not education itself or the use of drugs off-label. There are two good commercial reasons why industry should actually seek to reform marketing: 1) sensational positive publicity raises the level of sensational negative publicity, when expectations are too high, disappointment can turn bitter; 2) the industry is weakening its ability to market important products successfully. The industry is generating confusion about what is credible.

Keywords:
*analysis/United States/ unlabeled indication/corporate funding/continuing medical education/CME/quality of information/regulation of promotion/Food and Drug Administration/FDA/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: INDUSTRY/PROMOTION DISGUISED: CLINICAL TRIALS/PROMOTION DISGUISED: SUPPORT FOR CME/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: DIRECT GOVERNMENT REGULATION