E-DRUG: the Global Village and essential drugs (4)
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Wilbert,
One issue not mentioned in your message is 'independence'from the drug
companies. A essential drug is an essential drug + a thorough and
independent information. Drug Regulatory Authorities and experts
contributing to the drug licensing process are not immune from
financial ties with the drug industry:'conflict of interest'is
therefore another key concept. Medical representatives have been shown
to provide biased information (see the results of the reps monitoring
network regularly published by La revue Prescrire in France).
Another issue is 'Should the drug company be allowed to know what the
doctor is prescribing?'. As Barbara Mintzes rightly states in the
remarkable HAI report 'Blurring the boundaries-New trend in drug
promotion', pharmacists should not be allowed to sell personnal
prescribing data, and information on drug utilization and sales
should be publicly available to interested consumers and health
professionals.
Regards
Christophe Kopp
editor
Prescrire Intenational
Paris, France
christophe.kopp@wanadoo.fr
E-DRUG: the Global Village and essential drugs (5)
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Although I agree with the remarks of Lexchin and Gilbert I would suggest
to use this wording: "pharmacological or therapeutic active substances
plus information" rather than "chemicals" that too much open to any type
of chemical products.
Dr. Marcelo J. Vernengo
Universidad de Belgrano
Buenos Aires
Email: vernengo@ub.edu.ar
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