EVALUATION OF RATIONALITY OF PROMOTIONAL DRUG LITERATURE OF “TOPICAL & ORAL ANTIFUNGALS” USING WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION GUIDELINES- AN OBSERVATIONAL, CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Unethical drug promotion is a common problem worldwide. The objectives of this study were to analyse the promotional materials provided by the drug companies as per WHO ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion. In this cross sectional, observational study ,a total of 43 drug promotional literatures in the form of yers, leaets, and brochures concerned with Topical and Oral Antifungals taken as monotherapy or combination therapy were collected which were available in the hospital . The collected promotional materials of different pharmaceutical companies were compared with WHO's Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion. Majority of DPLs satised only half of the WHO criteria for rational drug promotion and most of them did not fulll all the specied criteria. Incomplete or exaggerated information in DPLs may mislead and result in irrational prescription. Therefore, physicians should critically evaluate DPLs regarding updated scientic evidence required for quality patient care.