E-DRUG: Beware the EU Pharmaceutical Forum
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Dear E-Druggers
5 international organizations (Health Action International (HAI),
International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB), Association Internationale
de la Mutualité (AIM), The European Consumers¹ organization (BEUC) and
Medicines in Europe Forum) have just issued a Joint Declaration on
Relevant Health Information for Empowered Citizens [available at
www.isdbweb.org].
The Declaration warns against an initiative by the European Commisssion¹s
Pharmaceutical Forum that would make direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA)
lawful in the EU.
Strangely this time DTCA masquerades as 'a human rights to have access to
information on medicines'. But the aim of the European Commission and its
pompous Pharmaceutical Forum is actually to support EU pharma companies and
ultimately remove the ban on DTCA.
The public do not need information on medicines that is directly or
indirectly supported by drug companies, simply because such information
cannot be comparative.
The Joint Declaration shows there is no lack of comparative, reliable and
user-friendly information on therapeutics for patients and the public in EU
countries. It calls on EU institutions and Member States to support these
relevant sources of health information.
The ban on DTCA in the EU must be maintained and applied strictly, be it on
advertising proper or on information on medicines and diseases that is
supported by drug companies.
Christophe Kopp
ISDB secretary
Christophe.Kopp@wanadoo.fr
www.isdbweb.org