Widespread Drug Marketing Violations at APA Convention

[Guest guest]

http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/journal/v26/n4/pdf/3200049a.pdf###

Dec. 15, 2005

Public Citizen Writes in Journal of Public Health Policy

Widespread Drug Marketing Violations Occurred at American Psychiatric

Association Convention

More Than Half Of Drug Makers at Convention Violated Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C.

More than half the drug makers that participated in the 2002 American

Psychiatric Association (APA) convention violated drug marketing rules set up by

the association or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Public Citizen writes

in a study in the current issue of The Journal of Public Health Policy.

The study, funded by the Greenwall Foundation and the Medicine as a Profession

Program of the Open Society Institute, examined 24 drug company booths at the

2002 APA convention by documenting interactions with pharmaceutical company

representatives and collecting the gifts provided by the companies to

physicians. Seven research assistants also gathered information by filling out a

questionnaire with a checklist of potential promotional violations of the APA

convention guidelines immediately after visiting the booths.

The researchers found 16 violations of the APA's exhibit rules: Eight companies

had one violation and two companies (Eli Lilly and Pfizer) had four violations

each. The most common APA violations were providing gifts valued at more than

$10, booths with " glaring lights, " promotional activity outside of the booth and

giving away toys or stuffed animals.

The companies distributed a range of items including CDs, personalized luggage

tags, palm pilot cases, bags, travel guides, mugs in velvet bags and phone

cards. Other giveaways were invitations to meals, entertainment and art-related

events.

Four companies were in violation of the FDA off-label marketing rules, either

mentioning products for uses not approved by the FDA or discussing drug use at

doses higher than what is recommended. Mallinckrodt violated both FDA and APA

guidelines.

" This is strong evidence that the APA's voluntary guidelines have failed to

adequately reduce inappropriate pharmaceutical company promotional activity, "

said Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group and

one of the study's authors. " Other voluntary codes now in effect * are likely to

be similarly ineffective, in part because they lack enforcement capacity. "

++++

If you would rather not receive the latest news via this e-mail line, please

send a message to

records@... with " UNSUBSCRIBE ME " in the subject line.

(posted as a requirement under legal and contractual requirements)

[Guest guest]

http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/journal/v26/n4/pdf/3200049a.pdf###

Dec. 15, 2005

Public Citizen Writes in Journal of Public Health Policy

Widespread Drug Marketing Violations Occurred at American Psychiatric

Association Convention

More Than Half Of Drug Makers at Convention Violated Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C.

More than half the drug makers that participated in the 2002 American

Psychiatric Association (APA) convention violated drug marketing rules set up by

the association or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Public Citizen writes

in a study in the current issue of The Journal of Public Health Policy.

The study, funded by the Greenwall Foundation and the Medicine as a Profession

Program of the Open Society Institute, examined 24 drug company booths at the

2002 APA convention by documenting interactions with pharmaceutical company

representatives and collecting the gifts provided by the companies to

physicians. Seven research assistants also gathered information by filling out a

questionnaire with a checklist of potential promotional violations of the APA

convention guidelines immediately after visiting the booths.

The researchers found 16 violations of the APA's exhibit rules: Eight companies

had one violation and two companies (Eli Lilly and Pfizer) had four violations

each. The most common APA violations were providing gifts valued at more than

$10, booths with " glaring lights, " promotional activity outside of the booth and

giving away toys or stuffed animals.

The companies distributed a range of items including CDs, personalized luggage

tags, palm pilot cases, bags, travel guides, mugs in velvet bags and phone

cards. Other giveaways were invitations to meals, entertainment and art-related

events.

Four companies were in violation of the FDA off-label marketing rules, either

mentioning products for uses not approved by the FDA or discussing drug use at

doses higher than what is recommended. Mallinckrodt violated both FDA and APA

guidelines.

" This is strong evidence that the APA's voluntary guidelines have failed to

adequately reduce inappropriate pharmaceutical company promotional activity, "

said Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group and

one of the study's authors. " Other voluntary codes now in effect * are likely to

be similarly ineffective, in part because they lack enforcement capacity. "

++++

If you would rather not receive the latest news via this e-mail line, please

send a message to

records@... with " UNSUBSCRIBE ME " in the subject line.

(posted as a requirement under legal and contractual requirements)