MP calls for cheaper drugs over advertising spend

The only prescribing doctor in Parliament thinks pharmaceutical companies should make drugs cheaper instead of pouring money into ads.

National’s Whangarei MP, Dr Shane Reti, has found it difficult to find solid data on how much money is spent on advertising prescription medicines straight to consumers in New Zealand.

‘‘Ask the consumers would they rather have very quick, challenging ads that don’t describe risk at all, or would they rather have said.

Reti was the 2007 Harkness Fellow to Harvard University proposing a comparative study of the implications of direct-toconsumer advertising in both the United States and New Zealand.

‘‘I am very much against direct-to-consumer advertising.

‘‘From a prescriber’s perspective, I don’t know of one GP who has any time or thinks there’s any benefit whatsoever from direct-to-consumer advertising. We don’t practice medicine off the television. cheaper medicine,’’ Reti

‘‘There is never a balanced view to certainly the New Zealand consumer.’’

Scott Sherriff, of New Zealand’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturing company Douglas Pharmaceuticals, said although it didn’t use direct-to-consumer advertising for its prescriptiononly medicines, he felt it played an important role in informing the public.

‘‘For prescription-only drugs, the choice ultimately rests with the healthcare professional. Triggering the discussion with the patient is the purpose of direct-to-consumer advertising.’’

There was a public health benefit in letting people know about innovative new medicines that were available, he said.

‘‘It’s more efficient directly to consumer.

‘‘On the one hand you create demand for expensive new drugs, so that’s a negative for whoever’s paying for it, but on the positive side, someone who’s sitting at home suffering with some ailment or disease that they don’t know there is a solution for ... well, now there is.

‘‘Treating these diseases, even if you go with expensive drugs can reduce the overall cost of healthcare by reducing downstream hospitalisations and other costs.’’

Graeme Jarvis, of Medicines New Zealand, which represents the pharmaceutical industry, said the level of direct advertising on prescription medicines in New Zealand was ‘‘not significant at all’’.

Minister of Health David Clark said the Therapeutic Products Bill under consideration would make sure ads were ‘‘truthful, not misleading and socially responsible’’.