Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6817

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

Sheldon T.
Drug promotion—how ethical is direct-to-consumer advertising?
Scrip Magazine 1998 Jul-Aug; (70):21-22
www.pjbpubs.co.uk/scrip/scrhome.html

Abstract:

The new report by Health Action International describes an inherent conflict of interest between the legitimate business goals of the pharmaceutical industry and the social, medical and economic needs of providers and the public to select and use drugs in the most rational way. This conflict has lead to the growing lack of clarity between commercial product information intended to increase sales and independent, objective information about a drug. The promotion of direct-to-consumer medications that attracts the most controversy. Industry representatives argue that extreme cases of DTCA abuse could not take place in countries with well regulated systems and that DTCA can empower consumers. Barbara Mintzes who wrote the HAI report rejects this argument. The report concludes by pressing for all drug promotion to be regulated through legislation and monitored and enforced through national governments or independent bodies able to impose an escalating scale of sanctions.

Keywords:
*analysis/HAI/Health Action International/DTCA/direct-to-consumer advertising/industry perspective/regulation of promotion/ profit motive/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: CONSUMERS/PATIENTS/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: INDUSTRY/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: AUTONOMOUS BODIES/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: DIRECT GOVERNMENT REGULATION