Letter

Direct to consumer marketing: Switch to over the counter can become indirect advertising directly to consumers

BMJ 2005; 330 doi: 10.1136/bmj.330.7496.906-a (Published 14 April 2005)
Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:906.2

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  1. Martin Duerden (martin@theduerdens.co.uk), general practitioner,
  2. Tom Walley (walley@liverpool.ac.uk), professor of clinical pharmacology
  1. Meddygfa Gyffin, Conwy LL32 8LT
  2. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GF

    EDITOR—Mansfield et al raise concerns about how advertising directly to consumers may cause inappropriate pressures to use drugs and may exaggerate benefits while minimising risk information.1 They state that the purpose of advertising is to persuade rather than inform. The same edition of the BMJ contained a review of switching prescription drugs to over the counter.2 Can this switch enable …

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