Document Detail


Advertisements for medicines in leading medical journals in 18 countries: a 12-month survey of information content and standards.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  8425785     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The information content of 6,710 advertisements for medicines in medical journals was surveyed to provide a baseline for monitoring the effect of WHO's Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion. The advertisements (ads) appeared during 12 months (1987-1988) in 23 leading national medical journals in 18 countries. Local participants, mostly doctors or pharmacists, examined them. The presence or absence in each ad of important information was noted. In most ads the generic name appeared in smaller type than the brand name. Indications were mentioned more often than the negative effects of medicines. The ads gave less pharmacological than medical information. However, important warnings and precautions were missing in half, and side effects and contraindications in about 40 percent. Prices tended to be given only in countries where a social security system pays for the medicines. The information content of ads in the developing countries differed surprisingly little from that in the industrialized countries. Almost all the ads (96 percent) included one or more pictures; 58 percent of these were considered irrelevant. The authors 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.
Authors:
A Herxheimer; C S Lundborg; B Westerholm
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  International journal of health services : planning, administration, evaluation     Volume:  23     ISSN:  0020-7314     ISO Abbreviation:  Int J Health Serv     Publication Date:  1993  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1993-02-26     Completed Date:  1993-02-26     Revised Date:  2007-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  1305035     Medline TA:  Int J Health Serv     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  161-72     Citation Subset:  IM    
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Advertising as Topic / standards*,  statistics & numerical data
Data Collection
Drug Costs
Drug Industry / standards*
Drug Information Services / standards*
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Humans
Periodicals as Topic*
Pharmaceutical Preparations / adverse effects,  contraindications,  economics
Photography / standards
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Pharmaceutical Preparations

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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