It has been found that information about prescription drugs rarely reaches patients or the general public. This is because pharmaceutical companies cannot freely disclose related information to the media. Over-the-counter drugs can be purchased at pharmacies without a prescription, but prescription drugs require a doctor's prescription to be obtained.
On the 8th, ChosunBiz conducted a survey on the practices of providing information regarding prescription drugs with 17 global pharmaceutical companies based in Korea. The results indicated that most do not disclose related information outside of pharmaceutical journals.
Nine out of ten did not provide information to media outlets that are not specialized. In response to the question, 'Is it possible to distribute press releases related to prescription drugs to general media outlets outside of pharmaceutical journals?' 88% (15 companies) of the respondents said 'it is impossible.' The remaining two companies answered 'it depends on the nature of the material,' but they could only provide non-pharmaceutical information, such as corporate social responsibility and partnerships.
Global pharmaceutical companies also imposed restrictions on media coverage. In response to the question, 'Can daily newspapers and broadcasters be invited to events related to prescription drugs?' 88% (15 companies) answered 'it is impossible.' One company said 'it is possible,' while another said 'it depends on the nature of the event.' Overall, access to general media remains extremely restricted.
Half (8 companies) stated that they cannot respond to requests for information from daily newspapers and broadcasting media. The remaining eight companies that agreed stated that their responses were limited to public information such as clinical trial results or approval and reimbursement information.
Most stated that according to internal guidelines, they cannot mention the names of prescription drugs and can only provide general information about diseases.
The background to pharmaceutical companies' reluctance to actively provide information to the outside is found in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. Article 68, Section 6 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act stipulates that advertising for prescription drugs, excluding vaccines, can only occur in medical and pharmaceutical journals or informational materials directed at professionals. The reason for this is to prevent public misunderstanding and misuse when exposed to general media.
However, there are concerns that blocking information about drugs that patients want to know could actually worsen the situation. An official from a global pharmaceutical company's Korean branch noted, 'Even if it is a prescription drug, objective and non-commercial information such as clinical trial results, approvals, reimbursements, and launches should be freely provided to all media in the form of press materials.'
Currently, the Food and Drug Safety Administration (FDA) guidelines include a statement that 'distributing fact-based press releases does not constitute advertising.' However, the caveat that the determination of whether something is advertising can vary by case places a significant burden on pharmaceutical companies.
Another official from a global pharmaceutical company remarked, 'The FDA guidelines must continue to be updated in line with changes in the pharmaceutical environment to ensure that necessary information is conveyed to patients without distortion.' Concerns have also been raised that imposing restrictions on the provision of drug information could exacerbate the information imbalance for patients.
Kim Seong-joo, the Director of the Korean Alliance for Severe Diseases, stated, 'While exaggerated advertisements should be thoroughly blocked, not even revealing when a drug will be released or what its ingredients are is not considerate towards patients,' and suggested that 'there is a need to collaboratively discuss and revise the criteria for information disclosure among the medical community, patient groups, and the government.'