Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4188

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

Harvey K, Mansfield P.
Drug promotion: the critical approach
Australian Prescriber 1991; 14:(1):34-35

Abstract:

A workshop consisting of industry representatives, consumers, an “academic detailer”, prescribers and government representatives discussed promotion. There was agreement that the promotional activities of the pharmaceutical industry currently provide the major source of continuing education concerning therapeutics for health professionals and that there was a need to immunize practitioners against irrational market forces. Two factors were identified with respect to pharmaceutical promotion: 1) a declining proportion is inaccurate, unbalanced and misleading; and 2) a large amount of promotion is not in accord with peer-consensus recommendations concerning rational drug therapy. There were a number of ways identified in which the system could be reoriented.

Keywords:
*analysis/Australia/quality of information/source of information/regulation of promotion/critical appraisal/promotion costs and volume/doctors/students/physicians in training/EDUCATING ABOUT PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSION STUDENTS/EDUCATING ABOUT PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS/EDUCATING ABOUT PROMOTION: PHYSICIANS IN TRAINING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: GENERAL QUALITY OF INFORMATION/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS/VOLUME OF AND EXPENDITURE ON PROMOTION