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Background: Drug promotional literature (DPL) is used by the pharmaceutical companies for promotion of their drug. It is the commonest source for providing information about the drug to the physician. According to WHO promotional literature should be reliable, truthful, informative, balanced and up to date.Methods: Study was conducted in Department of Pharmacology, Muzaffarnagar Medical College. 200 drug promotional literatures like advertisements published in medical journal, package insert of medicinal products and brochures were collected and analysed according to WHO criteria.Results: Total 200 promotional literatures were analysed. 100 promotional literatures were from the medical journal, 50 were package inserts of medicinal products and 50 were medicinal brochures. On assessing DPL using WHO criteria, all DPL mentioned brand names and dosage form (100%). Most of them published the generic name (98.5%), therapeutic uses (78%), side- effects (75%), dosage regimen (70%), contraindication (62.5%), warnings (55%), drug interaction (54%), precaution (50%), reference to scientific literature (45%), name of manufacture and distributor (99%), address of manufacturer and distributor (50%). Out of 200 DPL only 151 DPL contain references to scientific literature, 88 DPL references were retrievable and 63 were non retrievable.Conclusions: Our study shows although pharmaceutical companies are trying to adhere to the WHO criteria it is not fulfilled. As DPL are an important source of seeking information by the medical practitioner who rely on them to impart treatment to the patient, strict steps to regulate fulfilment of the WHO criteria should be taken by the government and authorities.
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Background: Drug promotional literature (DPLs) is an integral approach of pharmaceutical marketing strategy, which can almost influence a physician to prescribe definite variety of medicine from a particular company. The objective was to evaluate the accuracy, consistency, and validity of the information in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion.Methods: This was an observational study, in which total 100 DPLs were sorted out to evaluate whether the information is consistent/relevant with that presented by the criteria laid down by the WHO guidelines; such as nature of claims, pictorial content presented, cited references, the indication and significance of various data such as figure, graphs, table and clinical data.Results: From all the 100 promotional literatures sorted out, all showed the INN name and brand name, amount of active ingredient, dosage form and name and address of manufacturers/distributers was shown in all; adjuvants known to cause problem were not shown. Moreover, approved therapeutic uses were clearly mentioned in 35, 48 were having pictures presented, scientific graphs and clinical data were shown in 19.Conclusions: The results reveal that, majority of DPLs satisfied only half of the WHO criteria for rational drug promotion and none of them fulfilled all the specified criteria. Incomplete or exaggerated information in DPLs may mislead and result in irrational prescription. Therefore, physicians should critically evaluate DPLs regarding updated scientific evidence required for quality patient care.
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Background: Pharmaceutical industries worldwide are heavily involved in aggressive drug promotions. WHO has framed guidelines for ethical drug promotion in 1988. The transparency of pharmaceutical advertisements is important because decision of the physician is likely to be influenced by the claims made by the pharmaceutical companies in the promotional drug brochures and pharmaceutical industries treat their marketing material as “educational material” for doctors. Authors did this study to analyze the information given on drug promotional brochures by the drug companies using ethical criteria of drug promotion by WHO 1988 and to verify the authenticity of the claims given by the pharmaceutical companies in drug promotional brochures.Methods: Cross sectional study extending from 1/8/2012 to 31/7/2013. 612 drug promotional brochures satisfied our inclusion criteria. Drug brochures were analyzed with WHO ethical criteria 1988 and further categorizing the data into type of claims, number and source of references. Validity of journal articles were checked by using a validity measure developed by Cardarelli.Results: Total 612 brochures satisfied inclusion criteria. INN was mentioned in 93.8% of collected brochures. Brand name was mentioned in 100% brochures. Content of active ingredients was mentioned in 92% of brochures. Name of the other ingredients known to cause problem 28.4% of brochures. Dosage form or regimen was mentioned in 23.2% of brochures. Approved therapeutic use mentioned in 65.7% brochures. Side effects and major adverse drug reactions were mentioned in 31.4% brochures. Precautions and contraindications and warnings were mentioned in 30.4% drug promotional brochures. Drug interactions were mentioned in 26.5% brochures. Name and address was mentioned by 69.1% brochures. There were 1144 claims and 739 references. Efficacy claims were 84.88% of the total claims. Main source of reference was from journal articles (74.1%) and among them 49.65% were randomized control trials. Only 47.94 % of the journal references were valid.Conclusions: Brochures were lacking in vital information which included contraindication, warning, precaution, name of the other ingredients known to cause problem hence companies were found violating WHO ethical criteria. Claims were not well supported with references. Less than half of the given journal references were only valid. This study highlights the need of healthcare professionals to remain cautious about promotional material presented by pharmaceutical representatives.
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Se efectuó una investigación del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la asignatura Estadística, en la Facultad de Estomatología de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Santiago de Cuba, durante el período 2013-2015, a fin de perfeccionarlo a través de la elaboración de un folleto de ejercicios con situaciones problémicas de la práctica profesional, como material complementario de la disciplina Metodología de la Investigación y Estadística, que se imparte en segundo año de Estomatología. Primero se realizaron entrevistas a 77 estudiantes del tercer año que ya habían recibido la asignatura, donde 83,1 % refirió que no le gustaba la materia y 84,0 % que era necesario incluir situaciones problémicas estomatológicas para una mejor comprensión de esta; luego se aplicaron y validaron los ejercicios durante 2 cursos académicos, y se observó que de 151 alumnos, 127 manifestaron que le gustaba la asignatura y 100 identificaron la necesidad de conocer sus contenidos para su futuro desempeño profesional; de manera que dicho folleto aumentó la comprensión de los métodos estadísticos y desarrolló las habilidades y la motivación de los estudiantes por la Estadística
An investigation of the teaching-learning process of the Statistical subject was carried out, in the Stomatology Faculty of the University of Medical Sciences in Santiago de Cuba, during 2013-2015, in order to make it perfect through the elaboration of an exercises brochure with troublesome situations of the professional practice, as complementary material of the Methodology of the Investigation and Statistics discipline that is imparted in second year of Stomatology. First, 77 third year students that had already received the subject were interviewed, where 83.1 % referred that didn't like the subject and 84.0 % that it was necessary to include troublesome stomatological situations for a better understanding of this; then the exercises during 2 academic courses were implemented and validated, and it was observed that of 151 students, 127 manifested that liked the subject and 100 identified the necessity to know its contents for their future professional performance; so that this brochure increased the understanding of the statistical methods and developed the skills and motivation of the students for the Statistics
Subject(s)
Teaching Materials , Statistics , BiostatisticsABSTRACT
Background: The main objective of this study which was the first of its kind in Sudan was the evaluation of the medication informational contents (section headings) of pharmaceutical companies’ promotional brochures, their possible benefits, reliability and usefulness in the proper and rational use of drugs. Methods: Three hundred and fifty-one (n=351) brochures were collected from randomly selected doctors’ clinics in Khartoum, Sudan. Ninety-two of those brochures were excluded for being either duplicates, reminder brochures, promoting medical devices or cosmetics. The remaining (259), were then screened to match their macro-informational contents (section headings) against same advised in world health organization ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion. Results: Almost all the screened brochures displayed unbalanced and poorly evidence supported (48.2%) medication information messages, which minimized the risks of the promoted drugs (45.4%), while displaying section headings encouraging more use of the promoted products, in higher frequencies (93.66%).There was significant difference between the frequencies of display of medication information section headings of eight out of nine tested section headings, of a multinational and branded generic brochures (p. value ranged between 0.01 and 0.000). Conclusions: Screened brochures were found to display poorly reliable and unbalanced medication information. Healthcare providers shall, accordingly, seek independent medication information sources, and not solely depend on commercial sources of medication information. Official regulators shall strictly define and mandate medication information contents in printed pharmaceutical promotional materials. Healthcare providers should, also, master the skills of appraising such promotional printed materials if rational medication use is to be achieved.