Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Medicines :: Developments

Canada
January 2006
Direct-to-Consumer Advertising: What are the Public Health implications?
Barbara Mintzes, PhD

Centre for Health Services and Policy Research

University of British Columbia

In the interest of patient safety and public health, the government should curtail direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs, concludes a paper prepared for the Health Council of Canada. The paper, entitled /Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription
Drugs in Canada: What Are the Public Health Implications?, written by University of British Columbia researcher Barbara Mintzes, reviewed
existing research to assess whether such advertising improves patient outcomes or patient safety.

There is no reliable evidence that DTCA improves patient compliance in taking medication or leads to more appropriate early diagnosis of under-treated conditions, or prevents hospitalizations and serious disease consequences, said Mintzes, adding that higher exposure to DTCA results in increased requests for prescription medications.

Canada

January 2004
Canadian Health Coalition and HAI Europe.
DTCA Prescription Drug Advertising Health Canada’s Proposals for Legislative Changes.
Click here for the brochure (pdf format)

New Zealand

17 February 2003
Report to the New Zealand Minister of Health supporting the case for a
ban on the advertising of prescription medicines to consumers
Click here to read the report (pdf format) and the media release (Word format).

Europe

24 October 2002
European Parliament soundly rejects move towards direct-to-Promotion to Consumers. HAI Europe applauds Parliament's decision to protect public health, not industry's interests.
Click here to read the press release
PGEU issues press release: Pharmaceutical Legislation: European Parliament recognises the special nature of medicines.
EU Commission's response to the Parliament's vote.

3 October 2002
HAI Europe hails EU Committee's rejection of proposal to relax ban on advertising prescription-only medicines to the public.
Click here to read the press release
Click here to read the press release (in French) of Didier Claude ROD, Member of European Parliament.

22 July 2002
Members of the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB) send an open letter to members of the European Parliament, pointing out the dangers implied in relaxing the ban on DTCA.
Click here to read the letter
Click here to read the reply of the German Ministry of Health (in German)
Click here for a short summary of the reply (in English)

19 June 2002
HAI Europe opposes Dutch health inspectorate's plan to stop monitoring pharmaceutical advertising and marketing practices. To read the Press Release, click here: in English, in Dutch. For more background, click here to read a translation of an article published in Trouw.

18 June 2002
HAI Europe endorses La Revue Prescrire's petition on pharmaceutical issues currently debated in the EU.
Click here to view the petitions

23 May 2002
EU Parliament's Committee on industry (MEP Mel Read) releases report on pharmaceutical review legislation criticising Commission's plan to relax advertising rules.
Click here to read the full report

22 May 2002
European Parliament releases English-language version of Rapporteur's draft report on the proposal related to medicinal products for human use.

May 2002
A group of clinical pharmacologists, physicians, pharmaceutical industry representatives, medical and general journalists, communications professionals, and consumer advocates met in Erice, Italy, on May 9-13, 2002 to discuss drug advertising to consumers.
Click here to read The Erice Statement on drug advertising to consumers

9 April 2002
HAI Europe releases report of the HAI Europe/EPHA symposium on direct-to-consumer promotion in the EU. The full proceedings and a press release can be downloaded.

25 February 2002
Maria Negri sends letter to the European Parliament, raising a number of concerns on drug regulation and public interest. Click here to read the letter.

4 February 2002
Proposed relaxation of the EU ban on direct-to-Promotion to Consumers of prescription
medicines. Press release by HAI Europe and joint statement (English version) (French version) by HAI Europe and the European Public Health Alliance.

30 January 2002
Social Audit writes to Philippe Brunet, head of the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics unit at the European Commission's DG Enterprise asking for clarification on the intended revisions to Article 88.
Brunet's response.

22 January 2002
Comments from 35 bodies to the G10 group.
Click here to read

11 January 2002
Consumer, patient groups and health professionals reject European Commission's proposal on DTCA at HAI/EPHA symposium.
Click here to read the press release

10 January 2002
HAI Europe/EPHA Symposium
"Providing Prescription Medicine Information to Consumers :
Is There a Role for Direct-to-Consumer Promotion?"
Click here for more information

HAI and Social Audit release briefing papers criticising direct to Promotion to Consumers initiative:
Charles Medawar's briefing paper "Health, pharma and the EU: A briefing for members of the European Parliament on Direct-to-Consumer Drug Promotion".

To read the full text of Barbara Mintzes' s paper
"Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising: The European Commission's Proposals for Legislative Change".
Click here for English version , French version , German version

See Developments - Media
Position Papers by Campaign Partners - Archive