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

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7496.906-a

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Martin Duerden (martin@theduerdens.co.uk), general practitioner,
Tom Walley (walley@liverpool.ac.uk), professor of clinical pharmacology

Meddygfa Gyffin, Conwy LL32 8LT
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 …