Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3085

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

Schneiweiss F.
Pharmaceutical advertising and the medical journal
Drug Information Journal 1981; 15:193-197

Abstract:

Pharmaceutical advertising of all kinds has been estimated to exceed one billion dollars per year in the U.S. In Britain the promotional expenditure on drugs is calculated on the level of sales to the National Health Service. In 1978 this was arbitrarily set at 10% of sales. It has been argued that pharmaceutical advertising in medical journals serves a number of purposes: 1) helping the physician decide which product to prescribe; 2) providing the physician with information on new products, 3) providing drug information to physicians, and 4) providing financial support to medical journals whihc in turn may increase subscribers by reducing subscription rates. However, published evidence of journal advertising affecting any of the variables pertaining to education is lacking; only the lowering of subscription prices can be documented. Journal advertisements differ in content from the U.S. to Britain to Australia. Information on these differences are reviewed. More research is needed into sexual bias in journal ads.

Keywords:
*nonsystematic review/developed countries/United States/United Kingdom/Australia/journal advertisements/ad revenue/value of promotion/women/sexism/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/IMAGES IN PROMOTION: WOMEN/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES/VOLUME OF AND EXPENDITURE ON PROMOTION