Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4189

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

Herxheimer A, Lundborg CS, Westerholm B.
Advertisements for medicines in medical journals: a collaborative international study
1991;

Abstract:

In 1988, WHO updated its criteria for drug promotion, specifically what items of information advertisements to health professionals should usually include. To provide a baseline, we have analyzed 6710 advertisements for medicines in 18 countries in 1987-88. Local participants, mostly doctors or pharmacists, examined the ads published in 23 national medical journals during 12 months. Most ads gave the generic name, usually in much smaller type than the brand name. The medical information in the ads varied widely. Indications were mentioned more often than the negative effects of medicines. The ads gave less pharmacological than medical information. Relatively few were judged to be misleading. Practical information (e.g., dosage, package sizes) also varied greatly. Prices were given in many countries with a social security system which pays for the medicines; elsewhere most ads gave no price. Almost all the ads (96%) included one or more pictures. The assessors considered 58% of the pictures irrelevant. Many of the ads lacked clinically important information on contraindications, warnings and adverse effects. The information content of ads in developing countries differed surprisingly little from that in industrialized countries, but the message of the picture may differ more than the text. A picture may convey feelings, attitudes, expectations, dreams, which are hard to describe. Judged by the WHO criteria for medicines promotion the ads showed important deficiencies. Warnings and precautions were missing in half the ads, and side effects and contraindications in about 40%. We did not, however, distinguish between full text and “reminderâ€ ads. We believe it is a mistake to regard ads as trivial. If they are not considered seriously they will influence the use of medicines as they are intended to do, but read critically they can provide useful information.

Keywords:
*analytic survey/journal advertisements/developing countries/developed countries/World Health Organization/WHO/Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion/images in ads/quality of information/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: COMPARISON BETWEEN DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES/PROMOTION AND HEALTH NEEDS: PROMOTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES