Study of Drug Promotional Brochure a Source of Drug Information in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: A major marketing technique used by pharmaceutical companies is direct-tophysician marketing. This form of marketing frequently employs promotional marketing brochures, based on clinical research, which may influence how a physician prescribes medicines. This study was aimed to evaluate collected drug promotional brochure as a source of drug information in Bangladesh: a critical analysis of the brochures for the authenticity of information. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for ethical drug promotion are used in this study. Methods: The study was conducted with 98 different promotional brochures. This promotional brochure was collected from Square Pharmaceutical Ltd & Beximco Pharma Ltd.72 promotional brochure was collected from Square pharmaceutical Ltd and the remaining 26 brochures were collected from Beximco Pharmaceutical Ltd. Both pharmaceuticals are the leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh. Summary of the results: The findings from the present study show that the quality of reporting of various parameters of quantitative research in drug promotional literature distributed by pharmaceutical companies is poor. On the basis of the information available in the promotional literature, it is very difficult for a physician to assess the validity of the study and that may lead to inappropriate prescribing. None of the promotional brochures fulfilled all WHO criteria. Because the major side affects, placebo study, presence of reference, mechanism of action- all these things was not present in a brochure. In addition from this study it is clear that antibiotics are used highly in our country because antibiotics contain 25% of total brochures. Beside I also find a result on using different dosages form. Conclusion: Pharmaceutical industries did not follow the WHO guidelines while promoting their products, thus aiming to satisfying their commercial motive rather than fulfill the education aspect of promotion.