E-DRUG: HAI drug promotion report

[lisa@hai.antenna.nl]

E-drug: HAI drug promotion report
---------------------------------

Dear Colleagues,

Health Action International (HAI) has just released a report on drug
promotion: Blurring the Boundaries: New Trends in Drug Promotion. A
large section of this publication is dedicated to direct-to-consumer
drug promotion, with additional sections addressing various indirect
forms of DTC prescription drug promotion (such as the advertisement
James McCormack mentioned in his e-drug message, which takes advantage
of a major loophole in regulations against DTC promotion by not
directly mentioning the product name in the advertisement.) Other
sections describe the sponsorship of patient groups, Internet
promotion, promotion targeted at prescribers and pharmacists and
industry-sponsored research. This report contains many recent examples
of misleading and unethical promotion, much of it aimed at consumers,
as well as recommendations for more appropriate regulation, in keeping
with health priorities. 

These recommendations were developed jointly, reviewed and endorsed by
a consultative working group including HAI network participants with
expertise on drug promotion from Europe, Asia, North America and South
America. The report strongly recommends against legalising DTC
prescription drug promotion. 

Those interested in learning more about the publication can contact
the HAI-Europe office at the address given at the end of this message.
 
With best wishes,

Lisa Hayes
Publications & Information Officer


Elizabeth Hayes
Health Action International Europe
Jacob van Lennepkade 334 T, 1053 NJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
tel: +31 20 6833684, fax: +31 20 6855002
Email: lisa@hai.antenna.nl
 
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