Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6920

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

Ala-fossi N, Vilhunen S, Lilja J, Enlund H.
Promoting antidepressants to physicians in Finnish direct mail and journal advertisements
Journal of Social and Administrative Pharmacy 2000; 17:9-14

Abstract:

The contents of advertisements for new antidepressants appearing in the leading medical journal and direct mailings to physicians in Finland 1992-1993 and 1996-1997 were analyzed. A total of 135 journal advertisements and 71 direct mail advertisements were examined. Nine different new pharmacological substances and eleven different commercial brands were marketed during these two study periods. in direct mail advertisements contraindications, adverse effects and reimbursement status were significantly more often presented in the later study period compared with the earlier one (p<0.05). A strong correlation (r=0.955, p=0.001) was found between the number of advertisements in medical journals and the total sales of antidepressants. Promoting pharmacological characteristics of antidepressants as main arguments was found as a new trend. Direct mail was more professionally oriented than journal advertisements in 1996-97. In professional marketing presentation of scientific research, references, tables and opinion leaders plays an important role. The results of this study implies that drug companies had succeeded with different marketing strategies and the most important way of promoting the sales of drugs is the successful use of various promotional tools.

Keywords:
*content analysis/Finland/journal advertisements/direct mail/doctors/marketing strategies/safety & risk information/depression/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS/PROMOTION IN SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC AREAS: PSYCHIATRIC DISEASES