Drug advertising is a classic way of boosting sales and extending off-label use.

Advertisements and vaccines: arrangements in companies’ interests
Direct-to-consumer advertising is forbidden in France for reimbursed and prescription-only drugs, with the exception of vaccines and products used in smoking cessation.

Direct-to-consumer advertising of vaccines must comply with the recommendations of the French Technical Committee on Vaccination. However, these recommendations are often difficult to convey in brief advertising messages. The authorities therefore "adapted" the relevant regulation, authorising vaccine advertisements to carry abbreviated recommendations, instead of simply banning these ads (la revue Prescrire 300 p. 737).

Loopholes
Companies use a variety of tactics to get around the ban on direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription-only and reimbursed drugs, including gadgets such as pens, paperclip holders, notebooks (la revue Prescrire 291 p. 73). “Information” in the form of press releases for journalists (la revue Prescrire 300, inside back cover) and publication of articles in the lay press concerning certain diseases and their treatment (la revue Prescrire 302 p. 948) are other ways for drug companies to stimulate demand for specific drugs.

Ads targeting healthcare professionals: still too many abuses
The tendency of companies to influence the education of healthcare professionals is growing, and periodicals with financial links to the pharmaceutical industry continue to be published (la revue Prescrire 291, inside back cover; la revue Prescrire 297, inside back cover; la revue Prescrire 299, inside back cover). The “information” disseminated by drug companies is in no way conducive to high-quality care. In 2008, we reported 16 advertisements aimed at healthcare professionals that were banned in France (la revue Prescrire 292 p. 99; la revue Prescrire 294 p. 259; la revue Prescrire 299 p. 657-658; la revue Prescrire 302 p. 899). The French Agency (Afssaps) imposed most of these bans for the promotion of off-licence indications. Healthcare professionals must remain vigilant and refuse to put their education in the hands of BigPharma.

Ban all drug advertising!
Studies of the two countries that authorise prescription drug advertising (United States and New Zealand) show that it has a negative impact on public health and healthcare spending. In addition, the authorities have been unable to control this advertising. Advertising and other forms of “information” provided by drug companies lead to overconsumption of certain drugs and to questionable treatment choices (la revue Prescrire 291 p. 63- 64). “Information” provided to healthcare professionals by drug companies, mainly through pharmaceutical sales reps, is not only of poor quality but also very costly for society (la revue Prescrire 299 p. 704- 705).

Banning all drug advertising is the only way of protecting the public from its harmful effects.

©Prescrire April 2009

Source: Prescrire Int 2009; 18 (100): 84-88.