E-drug: Re: Rules for advertising of medicines (cont'd)
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Dear Vanda,
In most Western European countries Prescription Only drugs can
only be advertised in professional medical and pharmaceutical
journals. However, many manufacturers bend the rules by
advertising for treatment of certain diseases - mainly so-called
"comfort drugs" like anti-obesity or anti-impotence drugs - and then
only "hinting" that a drug made by that company may be the answer
- without actually mentioning its name. It is illegal but immoral.
OTC drugs may be freely advertised on TV, but some conditions
may apply (reference to PPI, mention of main adverse reactions,
indications limited to officially approved ones etc.) They may also be
advertised in pharmacies, drug stores etc. Policy towards public
media differ from country to country.
There is no difference between reimbursed or not reimbursed drugs.
POM are being advertised on the Internet, but mainly from US
sources. It is illegal in most countries, but it is extremely difficult to
take legal measures against it because the sources are often
impossible to trace and the manufacturers decline responsibility.
Good luck.
Dr.L.Offerhaus
Koedijklaan 1a, NL-1406KW Bussum, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-35-6923288. Fax: +31-35-6923290
E-mail: LO@EURONET.NL CompuServe: 71530,15
Eur J Clin Pharmacol ONLY:
POB 75552, NL-1070AN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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