[e-drug] Drug promotion in developing countries

e-drug
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E-DRUG: Drug promotion in developing countries
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Dear E-druggers,

I have been contracted by Consumers International to write a report on Drug
Promotion in Developing Countries.

I would appreciate your comments on what are the most important current
promotional practices that I should include in my report. I am especially
interested in common, best and worst practices. It would be great to have a
discussion on e-drug about this if that is ok with the e-drug moderators.

I have been asked to focus mostly on the promotional practices of the
world's 20 largest companies. (see list below) However please don't feel
limited by that.

Also, are you willing and able to send me documentation of current
promotional practices eg: scans of current advertisements in medical
journals and/or descriptions of gifts and "educational" events? If so please
reply to me directly: peter.mansfield@adelaide.edu.au
I will reimburse reasonable expenses but please negotiate this with me first
before you do anything.

The deadline for the first draft of the report is 28 February 2006.

regards,

Peter

Dr Peter R Mansfield
peter.mansfield@adelaide.edu.au
GP
Research Fellow, Department of General Practice, University of Adelaide
Founder, Healthy Skepticism Inc.
Countering misleading drug promotion.
www.healthyskepticism.org

Top 20 companies by revenue (US$ millions) in 2004.

1 Pfizer $46,133
2 GlaxoSmithKline $31,417
3 Sanofi-Aventis $29,596
4 J&J $22,128
5 Merck $21,494
6 AstraZeneca $21,426
7 Novartis $18,497
8 Bristol-Myers Squibb $15,482
9 Roche $13,840
10 Lilly $13,059
11 Wyeth $13,021
12 Abbott $11,462
13 Takeda $8,538
14 Boehringer-Ingelheim $7,667
15 Schering-Plough $6,417
16 Bayer $5,529
17 Novo Nordisk $4,848
18 Schering AG $4,171
19 Sankyo $4,152
20 Merck KgA $3,907

Source: http://www.contractpharma.com/top_comp.php

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E-DRUG: Drug promotion in developing countries (2)
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I hope you will be including Australia in your report with reference to the plight of Indigenous Australians living in Third World conditions in remote communities across the north of Australia. Their need for pharmacotherapies to sustain a longer life expectancy is as urgent as most Third World countries. I refer you to the Fred Hollows Foundation website for facts about Indigenous health at http://www.hollows.org/content/TextOnly.aspx?s=187
I am currently working on a paper concerning the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and how it has failed Indigenous Australians. It is a prime example of how access is not everything and that without knowledge a drug will be next to useless. In remote Australia our "best in the world" PBS is readily accessed through special arrangements with retail pharmacies but even this has made little impact on medicine taking. The pharmaceutical industry generally do not accept responsibility for this situation and make little effort (there are exceptions) to inform consumers or health professionals operating in the field.
The publically funded National Prescribing Service applies its principles to these special need people with the same effort as the rest of the population even though their needs are distinctly unique to a race who for only a few generations have lived in a settled environment.
In a country as rich in resource development from the lands of the Indigenous people it would be hoped that there would be a degree of social responsibility but there is little evidence of this happening from Pharma.
I would be happy to share my thoughts with you. Consumers are as important in remote Australia as anywhere else and their need for knowledge is far greater .

Rollo Manning
RWM Consultancy
PO Box 98 Parap NT 0804
08 8942 2101 or 0411 049 872
www.rollomanning.com

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E-DRUG: Drug promotion in developing countries (3)
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I bet you have covered the usual promotional activities, but, are you looking for unusual practice, whether good or bad? My Hospital currently has guidelines for Medical representatives, but they are breaking those rules!
   
  A few recent promo activities
  Sponsorship of CMEs/CPDs at institutional/professional organizational level (they get a guest speaker, topic of their choice, pay for coffee/tea and snacks)-this partnering with an institution/professional association endorses the company
  Development of resource centers (Rent for space, purchase of computers and necessary software, subscriptions for journals) for professional associations-quite a noble idea, but?
  Let me know if you have more specific questions
   
  Dr Atieno Ojoo
  Chief Pharmacist
  Kenyatta National Hospital
  Nairobi, Kenya