Critical Review of Drug Promotional Literature Using the WHO Guidelines: An Observational Study

ABSTRACT

Background: Drug promotion refers to all the informational and persuasive activities of the pharmaceuticals, which include theactivities of medical representatives, drug package insert, provision of gift and samples, conducting or organize seminar, etc.However, promotion of drug by ethical way is important because it may influence the irrational drug prescriptions.Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate and analyze the drug promotional literature distributed by pharmaceuticalcompanies to physicians using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for ethical medicinal drug promotion.Materials and Methods: A total of 100 drug promotion literatures were evaluated collected from the various outpatientdepartments and evaluated according to the WHO criteria for drug promotion.Results: Among 100 drug promotional literatures (DPLs), a total of 109 drugs were promoted. However, only 33% of DPLsgives side effect, precaution, contraindication, and warning and only 10% of DPLs gives drug interaction information. None ofthe DPLs fulfills all criteria of who drug promotion.Conclusion: Information on the DPLs given only focus on the positive aspect of the drugs and not fulfill all the WHO criteriaof drug promotion