Ethical Drug Promotion. Current Approaches and Regulations - Study of AmCham Moldova

Ethical Drug Promotion. Current Approaches and Regulations - Study of AmCham Moldova

• 24.12.2015

Chisinau, December 23, 2015. American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova made public the results of the study dedicated to inventorying the practices used by pharmaceutical companies in the course of drug promotion held at the end of the current year. Therefore AmCham Moldova believes mandatory the need to approve a regulatory framework governing interaction between pharmaceutical companies and people who prescribe or dispense drugs.
The study shows that there is no any regulatory framework in Moldova to govern drug promotion activities performed by representatives of pharmaceutical companies for specialists of medical institutions. Given that the EU member states have such norms, most pharmaceutical companies operating in Moldova follow the rule: “Everything that is not forbidden is allowed”. As a result, the lack of specialized regulations creates the risk of triggering a series of negative phenomena, ranging from inadequately information of patients until prescribing ineffective treatments, excessive consumption of drugs.

According to the study, in some cases commercial interests can have serious consequences for patients. In order to increase drug sales managers of pharmaceutical companies use different methods aimed at encouraging people who prescribe or dispense drugs (e.g. provision of certain monies and other incentives, in order to change the drug contained in prescription, etc.).

“Results of the study clearly prove the urgent need to regulate drug promotion, given that in Moldova representatives of medical institutions use in the course of drug promotion instruments considered unethical in order to influence the medical act in order to boost sales of certain drugs, instruments identified through discussions with doctors and managers of pharmaceutical companies.”, Mila Malairau, AmCham Executive Director says.
The case study methodology included interviewing representatives of pharmaceutical companies and over 1,000 persons; analysis of the current Moldovan legislation governing the medicine and pharmaceutics; and organization of round tables with participation of 20 doctors. The aim of the study is to identify and analyze unethical practices in drug promotion among specialists of health institutions by representatives of pharmaceutical companies in Moldova.
More details about the results of the study are available here

The study has been performed by the law firm “Legal Solutions” for Employers’ Association “American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova”. Development of the study has been possible due to the support from the Foundation “National Endowment for Democracy”. The views given here are the author\'s views and do not necessarily reflect the position of the foundation.

Read the press release in Romanian and Russian

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