253778 Patents and Inverse Benefit from Drugs

Monday, October 31, 2011: 3:00 PM

Howard Brody, MD PhD , Institute for Medical Humanities, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
The Inverse Benefit Law postulates that the negative impact of prescription drugs on public health will increase the more heavily drugs are marketed. The current patent system stimulates overmarketing, so reforms of drug patenting may help to reduce adverse drug reactions.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Ethics, professional and legal requirements
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the relationship between drug marketing and negative public health consequences of prescription drugs. 2. Describe how patenting of brand name drugs promotes excessive and inappropriate marketing. 3. Suggest at least one change in the patent process that could ameliorate this public health risk.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have done research on the ethics of the relationship between the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry for the past 11 years and have published 1 book and approximately 5 peer reviewed article on this topic. My research in ethics has included of necessity an exploration of the policy issues related to pharmaceutical marketing.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Adverse Drug Reactions: Extent of Public Health Risks
See more of: Medical Care