The ethics of drug promotion
Prescription medicines have helped many people lead a healthier life, however the marketing of these drugs is often mired in controversy. Drug companies stand accused of threatening public health and pushing up the price of health care through their aggressive marketing techniques. Only last year Consumers International released a report revealing that 20 of the leading drug companies in Europe had broken one of their own marketing codes 972 times between 2002 and 2005.
On Wednesday morning congress will get a chance to discuss the ethics of drug marketing with a panel including representatives from the drug industry, journalism and academia.
Dr Harvey Bale is the director of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and will be representing the industry view. IFPMA recently revised its marketing code however at the launch consumer organisations were already criticising it for not going far enough.
Ray Moynihan is a leading Australian health writer and wrote ‘Selling sickness, how the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies are turning us all into patients.’ It goes without saying that he is a strong critic of the industry.
Dr Jose Barros is a professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora’s school of medicine in Brazil and is an expert on the determinants and consequences of drug use. See his powerpoint presentation on the CI World Congress slideshare site here (in Spanish).
It promises to be a lively debate that will help to inform and inspire people on an issue that is a key campaign issue for Consumers International and has long been a concern for consumer organisations around the world.
