Drug advertising in medical journals

Abstract

Pilar Villanueva and colleagues1Villanueva P Peiró S Librero J Pereiró I Accuracy of pharmaceutical advertisements in medical journals.Lancet. 2003; 361: 27-32Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (130) Google Scholar state that doctors should be cautious in their assessment of drug advertisements. I would like to point out two issues. First, our policy at Medicina Clíinica allows for advertisements not exceeding more than one printed page in length. These advertisements are placed at the end or beginning of the journal to prevent the reader from being distracted or interrupted. High scientific standards and respect for readers are our priorities. Second, the technical information on drugs is fully accessible to the reader; this information is approved and controlled by the Spanish Health Ministry. Indeed, lack of concordance between promotional claims and bibliographic references is penalised under law, as Villanueva and coworkers state. Moreover, Farmain-dustria—a corporation that brings together all drug companies in Spain— has launched an interesting initiative. In particular, prestigious physicians will be required to intervene and mediate when conflicts of interest, ethical issues, and abuse of drug advertisements in medical journals are detected and reported by anyone, either physicians or drug companies. This initiative represents a control mechanism by which to avoid misuse of advertisements by the pharmaceutical industry. In my opinion, regulation of drug advertisements in medical journals in Spain is well defined, and should allow doctors to interpret them with accuracy.