Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?

Analyses of drug advertising reveal important social and cultural values and attitudes at a certain point in history. The purpose of this paper was to investigate how pharmaceutical industry communicates with pharmacists in Brazil, using drug promotion as a valuable tool. The point of departure was...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jussara Calmon Reis de Souza Soares
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2011-12-01
Series:Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-82502011000400004
_version_ 1819049504985317376
author Jussara Calmon Reis de Souza Soares
author_facet Jussara Calmon Reis de Souza Soares
author_sort Jussara Calmon Reis de Souza Soares
collection DOAJ
description Analyses of drug advertising reveal important social and cultural values and attitudes at a certain point in history. The purpose of this paper was to investigate how pharmaceutical industry communicates with pharmacists in Brazil, using drug promotion as a valuable tool. The point of departure was the analysis of a series of drug advertisements published in three Brazilian technical journals targeted at pharmacists and other health professionals. For the present study, the focus was on the content of the messages directed to pharmacists, in order to critically analyze the role attributed to these professionals as portrayed by the ads, and to discuss it in the context of pharmaceutical care. The collection and analysis of the data followed Anvisa's methodology. Pharmacists' social responsibility includes the reduction of preventable drug-related morbidity and mortality, but the information provided by the ads only refers to sales growth and profitability. Pharmacists are portrayed as salesmen, rather than health professionals, and encouraged to sell pharmaceutical drugs which are being heavily advertised to medical doctors. Consequences for pharmaceutical care are discussed.<br>Análises de propaganda de medicamentos revelam importantes valores socioculturais e atitudes em um determinado contexto histórico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar como a indústria farmacêutica se comunica com os farmacêuticos no Brasil, tendo a promoção farmacêutica como instrumento. O ponto de partida foi a análise de uma série de propagandas de medicamentos publicadas em três revistas técnicas dirigidas a farmacêuticos e outros profissionais de saúde. Para o presente estudo, o foco foi no conteúdo linguístico das mensagens, a fim de possibilitar uma reflexão crítica sobre o papel dos farmacêuticos no contexto da assistência farmacêutica, a partir das mensagens veiculadas pelos anúncios. A coleta e análise dos dados seguiu metodologia proposta pela Anvisa. A responsabilidade social dos farmacêuticos engloba a redução de morbidade e mortalidade relacionadas ao uso de medicamentos, mas os resultados mostram a ausência das informações necessárias à prática de uma atenção farmacêutica de qualidade. As informações divulgadas pelas propagandas referem-se basicamente ao aumento de vendas e de lucros. Longe de serem considerados profissionais da saúde, os farmacêuticos são retratados como meros vendedores. Além disso, são estimulados a vender os medicamentos que estão sendo extensamente propagandeados junto aos médicos prescritores. Discutem-se as consequências para a assistência farmacêutica.
first_indexed 2024-12-21T11:33:13Z
format Article
id doaj.art-73c98de18f4047c6b60cb5e7eeb1c7d6
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1984-8250
2175-9790
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-21T11:33:13Z
publishDate 2011-12-01
publisher Universidade de São Paulo
record_format Article
series Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
spelling doaj.art-73c98de18f4047c6b60cb5e7eeb1c7d62022-12-21T19:05:30ZengUniversidade de São PauloBrazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences1984-82502175-97902011-12-0147468369210.1590/S1984-82502011000400004Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?Jussara Calmon Reis de Souza SoaresAnalyses of drug advertising reveal important social and cultural values and attitudes at a certain point in history. The purpose of this paper was to investigate how pharmaceutical industry communicates with pharmacists in Brazil, using drug promotion as a valuable tool. The point of departure was the analysis of a series of drug advertisements published in three Brazilian technical journals targeted at pharmacists and other health professionals. For the present study, the focus was on the content of the messages directed to pharmacists, in order to critically analyze the role attributed to these professionals as portrayed by the ads, and to discuss it in the context of pharmaceutical care. The collection and analysis of the data followed Anvisa's methodology. Pharmacists' social responsibility includes the reduction of preventable drug-related morbidity and mortality, but the information provided by the ads only refers to sales growth and profitability. Pharmacists are portrayed as salesmen, rather than health professionals, and encouraged to sell pharmaceutical drugs which are being heavily advertised to medical doctors. Consequences for pharmaceutical care are discussed.<br>Análises de propaganda de medicamentos revelam importantes valores socioculturais e atitudes em um determinado contexto histórico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar como a indústria farmacêutica se comunica com os farmacêuticos no Brasil, tendo a promoção farmacêutica como instrumento. O ponto de partida foi a análise de uma série de propagandas de medicamentos publicadas em três revistas técnicas dirigidas a farmacêuticos e outros profissionais de saúde. Para o presente estudo, o foco foi no conteúdo linguístico das mensagens, a fim de possibilitar uma reflexão crítica sobre o papel dos farmacêuticos no contexto da assistência farmacêutica, a partir das mensagens veiculadas pelos anúncios. A coleta e análise dos dados seguiu metodologia proposta pela Anvisa. A responsabilidade social dos farmacêuticos engloba a redução de morbidade e mortalidade relacionadas ao uso de medicamentos, mas os resultados mostram a ausência das informações necessárias à prática de uma atenção farmacêutica de qualidade. As informações divulgadas pelas propagandas referem-se basicamente ao aumento de vendas e de lucros. Longe de serem considerados profissionais da saúde, os farmacêuticos são retratados como meros vendedores. Além disso, são estimulados a vender os medicamentos que estão sendo extensamente propagandeados junto aos médicos prescritores. Discutem-se as consequências para a assistência farmacêutica.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-82502011000400004Propaganda de medicamentosFarmacêuticosAssistência farmacêuticaDrugsPharmacistsPharamceutical care
spellingShingle Jussara Calmon Reis de Souza Soares
Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?
Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Propaganda de medicamentos
Farmacêuticos
Assistência farmacêutica
Drugs
Pharmacists
Pharamceutical care
title Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?
title_full Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?
title_fullStr Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?
title_full_unstemmed Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?
title_short Drug advertising directed to pharmacists in Brazil: information or sales promotion?
title_sort drug advertising directed to pharmacists in brazil information or sales promotion
topic Propaganda de medicamentos
Farmacêuticos
Assistência farmacêutica
Drugs
Pharmacists
Pharamceutical care
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-82502011000400004
work_keys_str_mv AT jussaracalmonreisdesouzasoares drugadvertisingdirectedtopharmacistsinbrazilinformationorsalespromotion