European patient groups have come together in an unprecedented coalition to block the pharmaceutical industry from supplying information to the general public.
Eighteen organisations have warned that proposals to allow pharma to communicate direct to consumers could mean Europe's citizens would be "exposed to the excessive promotion" of new medicines which would lead to "an increased demand for medicinal products which they do not necessarily need".
The coalition includes a broad range of groups, including AGE - the European Older People's Platform, the Bureau Européen des Consommateurs (BEUC), the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) and Breast Cancer Action Germany, among others.
In an open letter to the health ministers and permanent representatives of Europe's member states, the coalition warns that the line between information and advertising is hard to define, and concludes pharma should not play a central role.
More at Pharmafocus
2 comments:
If national health systems did not pay for the drugs, then EU citizens and agencies would not be so strongly and unitedly against DTC.
Wow! -- I'll link this -- great story, Insider!
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