UCSF Study Shines Light on Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing Practices

NBC News reports on a San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) and University of California, San Francisco study in this week's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine about the subtle ways pharmaceutical companies market their products to physicians and patients. Reviewing court documents available to the public from United States ex rel. David Franklin vs. Pfizer, Inc., and Parke-Davis, Division of Warner-Lambert Company, the researchers concluded that "activities traditionally considered independent of promotional intent, including continuing medical education and research, were extensively used to promote gabapentin. New strategies are needed to ensure a clear separation between scientific and commercial activity." In the NBC article, the study's lead author, Michael Steinman, MD, assistant professor in residence, Department of Medicine, and staff physician at SFVAMC, states, "It is very disturbing. It really does a disservice to patient care." Links: "Risky Rx: Drug Maker's Secret Strategies: 'Disturbing' Glimpse into How Marketing Dupes Doctors - and Patients"
NBC News, August 15, 2006 "Drug Company Documents, Now on Web, Reveal Hidden Marketing Campaign"
August 14, 2006 Drug Industry Document Archive

"Narrative Review: The Promotion of Gabapentin: An Analysis of Internal Industry Documents" Michael A. Steinman, MD; Lisa A. Bero, PhD; Mary Margaret Chren, MD; and C. Seth Landefeld, MD Annals of Internal Medicine 2006 145(4):284-293 Abstract | Full Text | Full Text (PDF)