Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Feature Sponsorship of Medical Education

Is the relationship between pharma and medical education on the rocks?

BMJ 2008; 337 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a925 (Published 14 August 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a925

Rapid Response:

Drug promotion: An octopus for prescribing

Drug Promotion-An octopus for prescribing

In “Is the relationship between pharma and medical education on the
rocks?” Ray Moynihan has beautifully highlighted the pharmaceutical
marketing gimmicks with evidences.
We all know since decades that pharmaceutical manufacturers are the most
skillful composers in carving, instituting, and estimating promotional
journeys. Their keenly penetrative and tailor made plans are equipped with
attentive assistance in the form of target groups and preliminary studies.

Pharmaceutical promotion is a chain reaction which is smooth sailing
since decades, incorporated silently and entwining our prescribing pattern
like an octopus. Pharmaceutical manufacturers hit the psyche of the
prescriber (whomsoever he or she is) by showering them with gifts which
can be even of negligible value as simple as pen (1). With the aim of
accelerating their sales, disease mongering is a robust attempt on the
part of pharmaceutical companies i.e. to simply promote and give public
hype to relatively minor incompetent health states such as male-type
baldness (2).

A study was conducted to investigate the 'gift-relationship' between
pharmaceutical companies and doctors at the school of Public Health and
Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales
Australia. This study outlined guidelines on gifts from pharmaceutical
companies and differing standards applying to gifts and grants for travel.
Although most of them are in concordance with the professional and
pharmaceutical industry guidelines but some such as personal gifts,
tickets to sporting events, entertainment and travel expenses for
specialists' partners did not comply with the stated guidelines (3).
In a developing country like India, Glaxo is in liaison with 2, 30,000
doctors with a strong grip through symposiums, medical journals and
mailers, 3-12 times per year; thus contributing in holding the number one
status in India.

In one of the study conducted over 20 years doctors have ascertained
the role of medical representatives as one of the prime informers (4).

Obviously these are few of the bitter facts which cannot be looked
down upon but the prescribing habits should be relied upon careful thought
which caters to patient's need in the best clinical interest. It is not a
matter of what being asked or offered. One must hear the voice from
within. As per US psychologist Price Pritchett, writer & entrepreneur,
sometimes we are submerged in between our ethical "shoulds" and selfish
"wants" but it is better to strive and come up with ethics of excellence.

References

1.Halperin EC, Hutchison P, Barrier RC Jr. A population-based study
of the prevalence and influence of gifts to radiation oncologists from
pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment manufacturers. Int J Radiat
Oncol Biol Phys 2004; 59: 1477-83.

2.Shankar PR, Subish P. Disease mongering. Singapore Med J 2007;
48:275-80.

3.McNeill PM, Kerridge IH, Henry DA, Stokes B, Hill SR, Newby D,
Macdonald GJ, Day RO, Maguire J, Henderson KM. Giving and receiving of
gifts between pharmaceutical companies and medical specialists in
Australia.Intern Med J 2006; 36:571-8.

4.Srivastava RK. Emotive marketing can generate prescriptions
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 accessed at
http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=39376§ioni=46

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

15 August 2008
Shazia Qasim Jamshed
PhD scholar
Zaheer-ud-din Babar, Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim
Social Pharmacy, Universiti Sains Malaysia