[e-drug] EC moves towards "direct to consumer" advertising (cont'd)

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E-drug: EC moves towards "direct to consumer" advertising (cont'd)
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[Copied as fair use. KM]

Lancet 2001; 358: (28 July)

European Commission may reform drug advertising legislation

Proposals for reform of the legislation of pharmaceutical drugs, adopted by 
the EU Commission last week, will open the way to promotion of such drugs 
directly to the consumer--although the nature of such "advertising" is 
disputed, according to medical and marketing professionals.

"There is no doubt that the ultimate aim is direct marketing to patients 
within 5-10 years", said George Rae, chairman of the BMA's policy-making 
division. But Per Haugaard, spokesperson for the Enterprise Commission, 
Brussels, Belgium, said the move was aimed only at providing consumers with 
better information on drugs for diabetes, AIDS, and asthma for a trial 
period.

The Commission's distinction between patient information and advertising is 
not clear. Some press releases say the current ban on direct-to-consumer 
advertising "will be complemented by a pilot system aimed at [providing 
better information]". Other statements by the Commission say it will 
"abandon the strict prohibition of advertising". Asked why it was doing 
this when a report it commissioned 2 years ago from Cameron McKenna of 
Anderson Consulting concluded, "the general view is that the advertising 
provisions are working acceptably and there is no clear support for 
consideration of any changes", the spokesman said the current proposals did 
not constitute advertising.

Some marketing professionals are quite clear on the nature of the new 
proposals. Commenting on relaxation of the ban, a recent article in 
Marketing magasine, advised drug companies to seek out customers and "adopt 
consumer branding principles and techniques". "This is worrying, we do not 
want advertising in the way of the USA", Haugaard said of the article.

Alan Chandler of GlaxoSmithKline says "what we have wanted to do for some 
time is to supply patients who have approached us with accurate and well 
balanced information". Under current laws, the company is only allowed to 
supply the packaging information, which is strictly controlled right down 
to layout and typeface. However the Association of the British 
Pharmaceutical Industry notes that "anyone can talk to you about your 
medicine, except the manufacturer".

Rae said "we would be naïve if we felt" the EU was not on the way to the 
marketing freedom practised in the USA. "Advertising is about increasing 
demand and this causes concern," he said, pointing out that more than 70% 
of American patient's requests for medications are duly prescribed. He is 
concerned about the costs arising from increased use of drugs and the move 
away from generic drugs, and that advertising could cause patients to seek 
drug treatment where, for instance, clinical psychology might be more 
appropriate.

"Practically every doctor I have spoken to has said [the BMA] must do 
something about [the move towards advertising]--nobody has told me it was a 
good idea", said Rae a former chairman of the association's prescribing 
subcommittee.

The European Commission is unlikely to have heard such professional views. 
Asked why the proposals omitted any mention of a history of, or need for, 
discussions with medical professionals, referring only to interested 
parties in patients' groups and the drug industry, Haugaard said "It is a 
fair point and something we will have to look into."
Nigel Glass


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