E-drug: Re: BMJ starts drug advertising on website (contd)
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Dear E-druggers,
I think this is a sad development and I do not welcome it at all. The fact
that most medical information is becoming increasingly dependent on income
from advertising is worrying. Members of the International Society of Drug
Bulletins have chosen to follow another path: to ensure their editorial
independence they accept no advertising or any other outside funding from
commercial sources. La revue Prescrire for example publishes 11 times a
year 80 pages of information about pharmaceuticals and other therapies
without any advertising and entirely financed by subscription fees only. At
the moment 23000 health professionals in France subscribe to La revue
Prescrire and are happy to pay for a reliable information source with no
ads. (also available in English 6 times a year - for information write to
international@prescrire.org). For information about ISDB and a list of its
members: http://prn.usm.my/isdb.html or write to isdb@compuserve.com
Advertising of prescription only drugs to the public in the EU is illegal.
Even if the MCA has informed the BMJ that it is in their view acceptable to
include drug ads, the BMJ could have taken a more independent view. I would
like to see the BMJ to actively support the ban on direct to consumer
advertising of prescription drugs by saying even if the MCA allows it -
from a public health point of view - we will not accept it. One cannot hide
behind the formal argument that the BMJ is targeted to doctors. After all a
web-site is much more accessible than a journal of a membership
organisation of medical doctors. The BMJ is not distributed at newspaper
stands.
Perhaps someone can tell readers of E-drug how much the maintenance of the
BMJ web-site costs and how much an access fee would be. BMJ reports that
the readers prefer ads over paying for information. Perhaps it is time that
health professionals start to realise that good quality information costs
money. It is an essential tool for carrying out their profession - they
should see it as an investment to ensure good patient care instead of an
avoidable burden.
Ellen 't Hoen
ISDB co-ordinator
email ethoen@compuserve.com
[Note from moderator: Thanks Ellen, I fully agree! And the people in Norway
who subscribe to Prescrire are very pleased with it! Kirsten Myhr]