Pharmaceutical Advertisements in Medical Journals
Authors: Robert H. Fletcher, Suzanne W. Fletcher
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1992)

Editorials1 June 1992Pharmaceutical Advertisements in Medical JournalsRobert H. Fletcher, MD, Suzanne W. Fletcher, MDRobert H. Fletcher, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Suzanne W. Fletcher, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-116-11-951 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptAll aspects of medical journals should be open to scrutiny, including articles, reviews, editorials, the peer review process—and even advertisements. Opinions about advertisements have been aired through the years, mostly in letters and editorials (1). Until now, however, few researchers have bothered to subject advertisements to rigorous study (2).In this issue ofAnnals, Wilkes and colleagues (3) take up the challenge. They report a study of how well pharmaceutical advertisements appearing in medical journals meet some basic standards for accuracy, completeness, and balance. The authors selected advertisements from 10 leading medical journals and had two experts in the clinical...References1. Rennie D. Editors and advertisements. What responsibility do editors have for the advertisements in their journals? JAMA. 1991;265:2394-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Wade V, Mansfield P, and McDonald P. Drug companies' evidence to justify advertising. Lancet. 1989;2:1261-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Wilkes M, Doblin B, and Shapiro M. Pharmaceutical advertisements in leading medical journals: Experts' assessments. Ann Intern Med. 1992;116:912-9. LinkGoogle Scholar4. Medical Marketing and Media. 1992;27:54-78. Google Scholar5. Kessler D. Addressing the problem of misleading advertising. Ann Intern Med. 1992;116:950-1. LinkGoogle Scholar6. Lock S. A Difficult Balance: Editorial Peer Review in Medicine. Philadelphia;ISI Press:1986. Google Scholar7. Williamson J, Goldschmidt P, and Colton T. The quality of medical literature: an analysis of validation assessments. In: Bailar JC III, Mosteller F, eds. Medical Uses of Statistics. Boston;NEJM Books: 1986. Google Scholar8. Arroll B, Schechter M, and Sheps S. The assessment of diagnostic tests: A comparison of medical literature in 1982 and 1985. J Gen Intern Med. 1988;3:443-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Pharmaceutical ads in Annals [Letters]. Ann Intern Med. 1992;116:958. LinkGoogle Scholar10. PAAB Code of Advertising Acceptance. Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board. Pickering, Ontario;Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board: 1986. Google Scholar11. Herxheimer A and Collier J. Promotion in the British pharmaceutical industry, 1983-8: A critical analysis of self regulation. BMJ. 1990;300:307-11. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Robert H. Fletcher, MD; Suzanne W. Fletcher, MD PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byIndustry guidelines, laws and regulations ignored: quality of drug advertising in medical journalsConflict of interestConflicts between Commercial and Scientific Interests in Pharmaceutical Advertising for Medical JournalsAdverts in medical journals: caveat lectorEconomic Messages in Prescription Drug Advertisements in Medical JournalsThe pharmaceutical industry and mental health nursingLa publicidad en las revistas científicas. Haciendo de la necesidad virtudA survey of the advertising of nine new drugs in the general practice literatureCharacteristics of Peer Reviewed Clinical Medicine JournalsEditorial IndependenceMedical editors, journal owners, and the sacking of George LundbergAdvertising Policies of Medical Journals: Conflicts of Interest for Journal Editors and Professional SocietiesHealth-Industry Advertising in Medical Journals: Conflict of Interest or Much Ado about Nothing?The future of medical journals in the western worldExtremely unbalancedDrug companies and information about drugs: recommendations for doctorsDrug advertisements and the medicalization of unipolar depression in womenThe pharmaceutical industry under attackPharmaceutical Ads in JournalsJohn F. Beary III, MDTake with pinch of salt 1 June 1992Volume 116, Issue 11Page: 951-952KeywordsPeer review ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 June 1992 Copyright & Permissions© 1992 American College of PhysiciansPDF downloadLoading ...