Advertisement of pharmaceutic in media was the main agenda of the talk organized by the State Duma committees on information technologies and health care. The topic was discussed with regards to the President’s recent order to place limitations on pharmaceutical commercials. The topic was discussed by the parliamentarians, executive officials and industry’s experts shared their view on the subject.
Media representatives are concerned to lose a part of the commercial market if a full bad on pharmacy commercials will be approved. The country’s economic development is impossible without a free advertising, however, the agenda is not to limit commercials, but to regulate it. The main goal is to increase awareness of customers on opportunities of self-medication by using over the counter medicines.
Healthcare deputy minister, Igor Kagramyan noted the social benefits of the discussed subject. It is important to increase social advertising and to promote healthy lifestyle, as well as to inform about risk factors and preventive medicine.
The general rules of the advertising market do not always apply to medicines. According to deputy chairman of the economic policy of the Council of the Federation, Sergey Kalashnikov the WHO accounts wrong medical application as the 5th case of deaths in the world. Therefore, it is important to limit commercials on prescribed medicines. In particular, it should be stated that a prescribed medicine, if taken properly, does not case any disease.

ARPM Director General, Victor Dmitirev noted the the issues of self-medication and medical advertising are linked together. When determining whether one medicine should be prescribed only or not it is important to closely follow the WHO practice. Only after defining a drug as prescribed or not we should consider whether it should be advertised or not. Mr. Dmitriev also spoke about negative trends in today’s drug commercials. Those are mix of definitions and unethical approach to commercials. Commercial of any drug should have three components: inform that the medicine is present on the market; inform the customer to carefully read how to use the drug; inform the customer to address any issues with their physician in case their condition would get worse or the drug is not effective. “The total bad on medical commercials will only harm the industry, but it does require some control through legislation,” concluded Mr. Dmitriev.