NONPRESCRIPTION DRUG PROMOTION IN MASS-MEDIA PRINT PUBLICATION IN INDONESIA

• Main Author: FITA RAHMAWATI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Sains Malaysia 2007-01-01
• Series: Malaysian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Subjects: Nonprescription medicine; Drug promotion; Advertisements
• Online Access: http://www.usm.my/mjps/MJPS%205%20(1)%202007/MJPS%205.1.1.pdf

The objectives of the study were to identify whether nonprescription drug promotion in mass-media print publications in Indonesia complied with the regulations of “Keputusan Menteri Kesehatan No. 386/Men.Kes/SK/IV/1994” on drug promotion and WHO Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion, as well as to identify the type of information given to consumers. The study was conducted by random sampling of 110 advertisements from mass-media print publications from the year 2000 until 2004. The results of the study showed that only 1.8% of nonprescription drug advertisements complied with the regulations. The type of information advertised to consumers was the active ingredient(s) (80.9%), major indications for use (98.2%), major precautions (9.1%), contra-indications (5.4%), side effects (20.9%), the name of the product or the brand name (100%), name of manufacturer or distributor (93.6%), address of manufacturer/distributor (45.5%), dosage (80.9%), and registration number (82.7%). Our findings showed that 27.3% advertisements did not list the active ingredient(s) completely or used no International Nonproprietary Name (INN), and 44.5% advertisements contained claims of product effectiveness that were unsupported by clinical or other scientific evidence.