Ethical standards of medicinal drug promotion: A critical appraisal of drug promotional literatures

Introduction: Drug promotional literature has been an easy and hand-ready drug information source for the physician, which tends to have a powerful impact on physicians’ prescribing behavior. However compromised and biased information presented through promotional materials should be analyzed critically before translating the same to practice. Such information dissemination, its mode and presentation are critically guided by WHO guidelines of ethical drug promotion. The present study was conducted to critically appraise the DPLs distributed to prescribing physicians in outpatient departments of a tertiary care hospital in lines of WHO guidelines. Materials and Methods: Left behind drug promotional brochures were collected randomly from various outpatient departments and were adjudged based on WHO criteria for ethical medicinal drug promotion. DPLs were also evaluated for various claims and references supporting the claims made. Type of pictures used in promotional material, their contextual relevance were assessed. Results: In our study, 5.29% of all DPLs were found fulfilling almost all the WHO criteria for ethical drug promotion. Safety information was absent in 92.79% cases. Only 42.79% of the DPLs had statements supported by cited references. Promotional brochures made striking use of various types of pictures, covering a major area of the promotional material. Conclusion: A hand-in-hand approach of practitioners, pharmaceutical companies and the regulatory authority may help in ethical drug promotion and rational drug prescribing thereby ensuring safer patient outcomes.