english.prescrire.org > Spotlight > Archives : 2008 > Direct-to-public advertising of prescription drugs: harmful and unmanageable

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Direct-to-public advertising of prescription drugs: harmful and unmanageable

It is contrary to the public interest for pharmaceutical companies to provide consumers directly with "information" on prescription drugs.

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is currently prohibited in Europe. The European Commission is backing pharmaceutical companies' plans to legalise such advertising, as in the USA. The Commission has announced that it will put forward proposals in 2008 to enable pharmaceutical firms to "communicate" directly with the public, by making a somewhat spurious distinction between "information"and "advertising".

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is currently permitted only in the USA and New Zealand, where it has come in for increasing criticism. Such advertising results in over-consumption of some drugs, and the use of drugs which are not the best option.

The European Commission's proposal should place the emphasis on monitoring the "information" pharmaceutical companies deliver to the public.

However, a report by an American government agency has shown that the US drug regulatory body is unable to monitor consumer advertising for prescription drugs effectively: late notification, lack of method and insufficient resources make it impossible to prevent companies from spreading misleading information.

The only effective way to protect citizens from the damaging effects of direct-to-consumer advertising is quite simply to ban it.

©Prescrire January 2008

Source: "Publicité directe au public pour les médicaments de prescription : néfaste et incontrôlable" Rev Prescrire 2008; 28 (291): 63-64.

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