Healthy Skepticism Library item: 14972

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

Currie JA, Preston H, Weerapperuma S.
EC, don't let drug companies give information to the public.
BMJ. 2009 Jan 27; 338:b290:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/338/jan27_2/b290?papetoc

Abstract:

Although it remains worrying, the European Commission’s proposal for greater freedom for pharmaceutical companies to communicate directly to patients about prescription drugs has already been significantly watered down, and can still be defeated.1

An early version of the proposal suggested that companies could use television, radio, and printed media as channels for dissemination. This would clearly have allowed them to cross the imaginary boundary between information and advertising.

Under pressure from campaign groups, including Picker Institute Europe, television and radio were dropped, while printed media became more tightly defined as health related publications.

Delays caused by opposition from within and outside the commission may have prevented the directive passing through the current European parliament, which ends in June.

At whatever stage it reappears, the proposal can be defeated if patient and professional groups make their views known to members of the European parliament and to member governments, both of whom . . .

Keywords:
Drug Industry/legislation & jurisprudence* Drug Information Services/legislation & jurisprudence* European Union Patient Education as Topic