Healthy Skepticism Library item: 3614

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

Tan M.
Dying for drugs: pill power and politics in the Philippines
1988;

Abstract:

The chapter discusses the role of sales representatives in promoting drugs and other forms of promotion including bribing doctors with lavish gifts, sending them to scientific meetings in five star hotels, entertaining them with lewd shows and the use of drug company sponsored clinical trials. Direct-to-consumer promotion of over-the-counter drugs is prominent in the Philippines through both print and broadcast advertisements. Because of heavy advertising the companies are able to put pressure on the media to silence criticism of the industry. Aggressive promotional tactics modify the prescribing habits of physicians in the Philippines leading to irrational drug use and the use of useless products.. Double standards in the information that is provided to doctors in the Philippines and industrialized countries is common. Finally, the advertising has resulted in the medicalization of problems of everyday life.

Keywords:
*analysis/Philippines/developing countries/quality of information/gift giving/ direct-to-consumer advertising/ DTCA/ drug company sponsored research/ drug company sponsored meals and travel/quality of information/quality of prescribing/ medicalization of problems/ sales representatives/ sponsored symposia & conferences/ print advertisements/ broadcast advertisements/ reaction to critics/ over-the-counter medications/health and healthcare/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: GIFT GIVING/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: PAYMENT FOR MEALS, ACCOMODATION, TRAVEL, ENTERTAINMENT/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: COMPARISON BETWEEN DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: PRINT AND BROADCASE ADVERTISEMENTS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL DRUGS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: OUTCOME OF CLINICAL TRIALS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES/PROMOTION DISGUISED: CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS/SPONSORSHIP: RESEARCH/VOLUME OF AND EXPENDITURE ON PROMOTION