US Pharma defends its marketing and educational activities in face of curbs

There has been a considerable amount of criticism of the pharmaceutical industry medical representatives' interface with physicians, in the USA and elsewhere. Indeed, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation has gone as far as barring US drug giant Pfizer from detailing to its medical staff and it has filed a law suit against the company, the manufacturer of the blockbuster erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil), over what it says is the company's "irresponsible marketing tactics and advertising" of the ED product.

This has led to fears that pharmaceutical detailing may be curbed, and resulted in Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) senior vice president Ken Johnson issuing a statement on these attempts to restrict or ban discussions between technically-trained drug sales representatives and health professionals:

"America's pharmaceutical research companies strongly agree that the prescribing decisions of all health care practitioners should be based on the best medical and scientific evidence and a patient's individual needs.