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Promoting "low T": a medical writer's perspective.
1Braun Medical Media, Amherst, Massachusetts.
JAMA Internal Medicine
|August 14, 2013
Summary
Despite transparency improvements, pharmaceutical companies still use subtle marketing tactics. They fund continuing medical education and patient materials to promote their products, influencing perceptions through selective information.
Area of Science:
- Medical Marketing
- Pharmaceutical Industry Ethics
- Health Communication
Background:
- Progress in transparency regarding funding and conflicts of interest has been made.
- However, drug companies retain methods for subtle and effective product marketing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the continued subtle marketing strategies employed by pharmaceutical companies.
- To analyze the influence of industry funding on medical education and patient materials.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of funding sources for continuing medical education (CME) programs.
- Review of content in industry-funded "consensus" panels.
- Evaluation of patient education materials for selective information and bias.
Main Results:
- Continuing medical education programs remain company-funded, linking educational content to product promotion.
- "Consensus" panels are also industry-funded, potentially biasing messages.
- Patient education materials, though factually accurate, may omit information or highlight selected facts to align with funder interests.
Conclusions:
- Pharmaceutical companies continue to utilize subtle marketing strategies despite increased transparency.
- Industry funding of educational and patient materials poses a risk of biased information dissemination.
- Omission and selective inclusion of facts are key tactics in shaping attitudes towards pharmaceutical products.
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