[e-drug] Thank you for supporting a ban on DTCA in NZ

[Peter R Mansfield <peter@healthyskepticism.org>]

E-drug: Thank you for supporting a ban on DTCA in NZ
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Thanks for this feedback, Peter. Another clear sign that we can
make a difference! HH]

Healthy Skepticism thanks all who joined our campaign to support
the call from doctors in New Zealand for a ban on Direct To
Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs to the public.

It appears that our campaign has already been successful at
indicating the level of international concern about drug promotion to
the public. We have received an indication from the NZ Ministry of
Health that they have got the message. Consequently, no more
letters are required now.

If you were too late to join this campaign please feel welcome to
join our other campaigns related to misleading drug promotion in the
future. Visit www.healthyskepticism.org and click on "Your
Options".

For this NZ DTCA campaign we received support from:

Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Canada
Colombia
France
Lithuania
NZ
Papua New Guinea
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies
UK
USA

The strongest support was from Australia, Canada, Spain and the
UK.

About 2/3 of supporters just sent the open letter we wrote. About
1/3 modified our letter or wrote their own.

Comments received included:

DTCA is prohibited in Lithuania but we have very hard pressure
from pharmaceutical companies and radio, TV and other mass
media.

We have been following this since the report's release and have
circulated copies of the report to our own policy makers in Canada
in the hope that it will enhance our efforts to not have DTCA
approved here.

I support your campaign having seen what herpes "awareness"
advertising is doing to patients I see at Melbourne Sexual Health
Centre.

We have some alarming examples in the UK, where terbinafine has
been covertly promoted as a treatment for "unsightly toenails"
affected by minor fungal infections in the national press. One of our
coronary disease patients was prescribed this drug directly as a
result of a newspaper advertisement for this trivial condition (in
conjunction with a statin for his elevated cholesterol) and suffered
disturbed liver function requiring him to stop his statin and exposing
him to unnecessary risk.

We have received the following initial response from Annette King,
Minister of Health for New Zealand:

***

Thank you for your recent email regarding direct-to-consumer
advertising of prescription medicines on television and radio and in
printed media.

You may be aware from recent news items that several senior
doctors from the New Zealand medical schools have written a
report Direct to Consumer Advertising of Prescription Medicines in
New Zealand - for Health or for Profit. The report recommends that
the Government ban all direct-to-consumer advertising of
prescription medicines. I have noted your support for a ban on
advertising prescription medicines in all media except medical
journals.

I have asked Ministry of Health officials to review this report and
provide me with advice. As this is a complex topic requiring careful
analysis, work is unlikely to be completed until the middle of the
year. Once I have received that advice I will consider what action, if
any, might be taken.

Thank you for informing me of your views.

Yours sincerely

Hon Annette King
Minister of Health

***

regards,

Peter

Dr Peter R Mansfield
GP
Research Fellow, Department of General Practice
University of Adelaide
Director, Healthy Skepticism Inc
Improving health by reducing harm from misleading drug promotion.
peter@healthyskepticism.org
www.healthyskepticism.org
34 Methodist St, Willunga SA 5172 Australia
ph/fax +61 8 8557 1040

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