By: Cindy Rivera, Olga Torres.
LatinAlliance presents the 3 most frequently asked questions and answers on Promotion and Advertising before the General Directorate of Medicines.
1- In El Salvador, the drug Law of Medicines empowers in Art. 60 the DNM to authorize the promotion and sale of medicines as long as it complies with certain requirements, do you know what they are?
- Being classified as over-the-counter drugs.
- Have a sanitary registration in the country.
- Provide reliable, accurate, updated and verifiable information.
- Be oriented to promote the rational use, as well as the prevention of drug abuse.
2- Do you know the difference between drug promotion and drug advertising?
- Drug Promotion: Are all informative, advertising activities deployed by manufacturers, distributors and dispensers with the purpose of inducing prescription, supply, acquisition and rational use of medicines. The DNM approves promotions such as 2X1, 2+1 and similar.
- Advertising of Medicines: It is the one made by any form or means of dissemination, such as printed advertising, broadcasting, telecasting, drawn, painted, projected or disseminated by means of internet, audio systems, fixed or itinerant; as well as the free distribution of samples.
3- In drug promotion and advertising, phrases or words that exaggerate the benefits of the products should not be used, do you know what these words are?
-Wonderful
-Magical
-Infallible
-Unsurpassed
“The most effective” Or other similar words or qualifiers that imply unfair competition.