Critical evaluation of the validity of drug promotion materials in Ethiopia

Figures & data

Figure 1 Category of drugs presented in the promotional material (n=173).

Abbreviations: CNS, central nervous system; CVS, cardiovascular; RS, respiratory system; GIT, gastrointestinal; Vit and Min, vitamins and minerals; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Table 1 Evaluation of promotional material as per World Health Organization criteria (n=173)

Criteria	Percentage of promotional material that contains the information
Generic name	94.8
Brand name	100
Active ingredient per dosage form	62.4
Inactive ingredients known to cause problems	4.6
Mechanism of action	16.2
Indications	92.5
Regimen	49.7
Route of administration	52.6
References	48.6
Dosage form	83.8
Storage conditions	13.3
Pack sizes	20.8
Description of the product and package	5.2
Legal category^a	0
Manufacturer/distributor’s name	93.1
Manufacturer/distributor’s address	47.9

Note: ^aNarcotic or other controlled drug, prescription or non-prescription.

Table 2 Evaluation of promotional material as per World Health Organization criteria, safety information (n=173)

Type of safety information	Percentage of promotional material that contains the information
Side effects	27.2
Precautions	18.5
Contraindications	18.5
Pregnancy category	15.6
Drug interaction	16.2
Overdose	10.1
Special situations^a	13.9

Note: ^aEg, renal, hepatic, cardiac, or nutritional insufficiencies that require either increased or reduced dosage.

Figure 2 Categorization of promotional claims (n=223).

Figure 3 Graph depicting variation in number of claims per promotional material (n=173).

Figure 4 Categorization of pictorial contents of the drug promotional materials (n=146).

Table 3 Classification of references as per its source (n=249)

Serial Number	Type of references			Percentage of references (n=249)
1	Journal article	Research article	RCT	17.3
			RPCT	8.8
			NRCT	6.4
			Survey	2.4
			CCT	2.8
		Preclinical studies	In-vitro study	4.4
			Animal studies	1.2
		Review article	Review	23.3
			Meta-analysis	4.4
		Journal article not retrievable		5.2
2	Treatment guidelines			5.6
3	Leaflets (package inserts)			4.8
4	Data on file			3.6
5	Websites			3.2
6	Books			2.8
7	Regulatory body approval data			2.8
8	Others			2.0

Note: The category ‘others’ include expert opinions and letter to editors.

Abbreviations: RCT, Randomized control trial; RPCT, Randomized placebo control trial; NRCT, Non Randomized control trial; CCT, Case-control study.

Table 4 Classification of journal articles as per their publication year (n=190)

Year of publication	Percentage of journal articles (n=190)
After 2013	5.8
2009–2013	17.9
2004–2008	24.7
1999–2003	21.6
Before 1999	30.0