Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3074

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

Gustafsson LL, Wide K.
Marketing of obsolete antibiotics in Central America.
Lancet 1981 Jan 3; 1:(8210):31-3

Abstract:

In 1977 the World Health Organisation published a list of essential drugs that would provide the basis for rational drug utilisation in developing countries. Only 16 antibiotics were included. A review of antibiotics marketed in Central America revealed that in only two of eight countries were less than 200 antibiotic drug products sold. At least a third of these were drug combinations of questionable value. Adequate information about adverse drug effects was frequently not provided to doctors in the manufacturers’ drug descriptions. Furthermore compounds could be
obtained without prescription. Thus there is a high potential risk for misuse of antibiotics in the countries studied which might be reduced by adhering to the principles outlined in the W.H.O. report on essential drugs.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/Central America/developing countries/antibiotics/ fixed-dose combinations/ commercial compendia/ doctors/ quality of information/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: COMMERCIAL DRUG COMPENDIA/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES/PROMOTION IN SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC AREAS: ANTIBIOTICS Anti-Bacterial Agents/standards* Central America Commerce* Drug Combinations* Drug Interactions Drug Therapy/economics Humans Mexico Risk World Health Organization