Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2713

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

Lee PR, Lurie P, Silverman MM, Lydecker M.
Drug promotion and labeling in developing countries: an update.
J Clin Epidemiol 1991; 44:

Abstract:

Recent studies of drug promotion and labeling in Third World countries since 1972 have observed important changes in the policies of multinational corporations. Earlier studies found that multinational and national drug companies often grossly exaggerated the indications for the drugs and minimized or ignored the hazards. In the latest study, initiated in 1987, considerable improvement in promotional practices of the multinational corporations has been found, but little or no improvement on the part of the national companies. As a result, physicians are still provided with grossly exaggerated claims and the hazards of prescription drugs are covered up or glossed over. A very serious problem—the marketing of fraudulent drug products—has been identified in a number of Third World countries. Drug products are shaped and colored to resemble the original multinational company product, but contain only a small percentage of the active ingredient stated on the label, or perhaps none at all. In Indonesia fraudulent drug products may represent 20-30% of all drug products in the market. Similar fraudulent products have been reported in Brazil, Thailand, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

Keywords:
*analysis/developing countries/commercial compendia/research-based manufacturers/domestic companies/Health Action International/ HAI/ IFPMA/ International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations/ regulation of promotion/ Medical Lobby for Appropriate Marketing/ MaLAM/ Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (IFPMA)/consumer groups/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: COMMERCIAL DRUG COMPENDIA/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: COMPARISON BETWEEN DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION Developing Countries* Drug Industry Drug Labeling* Fraud* Humans Marketing of Health Services/methods* World Health Organization

Notes:

This paper presents the preliminary results of the fourth survey on drug promotion in the developing world that was undertaken by Philip Lee, Milton Silverman and Mia Lydecker. Most multinational firms are more willing to restrict claims of efficacy for their products to the scientifically justifiable and appear more willing to divulge the major hazards of their products. However, domestic firms have not changed their policies and practices. An additional problem is the willingness of domestic companies to promote drugs that were removed from the market by multinational corporations. While changes in the prescribing guides may be significant, advertising through other methods and prescribing practices in the localsetting may be little altered.