Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6837

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

Sales representatives: a damning report by Prescrire reps monitoring network
Prescrire International 1999; 8:(41):86-89

Abstract:

Despite increasingly numerous regulatory constraints, as well as international reports and recommendations, medical representatives in France continue to mislead prescribers knowingly. Detailers continue to modify or broaden indications about 20% of the time; increase the dosage recommendations about 10% of the time; and minimize potential drug hazards 75% of the time. Although detailers are legally obliged to give out a copy of the most recent report from the Transparency Commission (a comparative document that includes a section that rates therapeutic utility) this happens only about 5% of the time. The Summary of Product Characteristics document is only given out 78% of the time when visits are for older preparations and safety information is never supplied. There is a clear trend towards presentation of new preparations well before they are released onto the market. The article also includes the 10 year history of the monitoring network as well as summary statistics for the period 1990-1991 to 1997-1998.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/France/sales representatives/quality of information/safety & risk information//la revue Prescrire/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING