Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2875

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

Hendeles L.
Need for "counter-detailing" antibiotics.
Am J Hosp Pharm 1976 Sep; 33:(9):918-24

Abstract:

Selected antibiotic advertisements in medical journals are discussed to illustrate the misleading information that is often disseminated to physicians by the pharmaceutical industry. Laboratory and clinical data are presented to question the validity of selected advertisements which (1) encourage the use of Keflex for severe respiratory infections in children, (2) recommend the use of Keflex for the treatment of bacterial bronchitis, (3) suggest that high tissue penetration is a unique property of Vibramycin, (4) present pooled susceptability data which do not reflect microbial resistance patterns in the patient’s hospital, (5) recommend twice-daily administration of Ancef for urinary tract infections but do not clearly state the potential danger of this regimen for other infections, (6) suggest that gentamicin should be given to adults in only two dosage sizes for the treatment of serious Gram-negative infections, and (7) lead the reader to assume that only women need to be treated for Trichomonas infections. It is suggested that as antibiotics are marketed, hospital therapeutics committees should evaluate their advantages and permit formulary additions for only those agents demonstrating increased efficacy, decreased toxicity or decreased cost. Pharmacists who monitor drug therapy can provide information to the physician which will increase his awareness of optimal antibiotic therapy.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/United States/antibiotics/journal advertisements/quality of information/pharmacies and pharmacists/hospitals/formularies/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/PROMOTION IN SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC AREAS: ANTIBIOTICS Advertising Anti-Bacterial Agents*/therapeutic use Bacterial Infections/drug therapy Bronchitis/drug therapy Cefazolin/therapeutic use Cephalexin/therapeutic use Doxycycline/therapeutic use Gentamicins/therapeutic use Haemophilus Infections/drug therapy Haemophilus influenzae Minocycline/therapeutic use United States United States Food and Drug Administration