British journal of clinical pharmacology
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Br J Clin Pharmacol · Aug 2018
Historical ArticleMarketing medicines: charting the rise of modern therapeutics through a systematic review of adverts in UK medical journals (1950-1980).
To examine how pharmaceutical products that were first marketed between 1950 and 1980 were promoted to physicians through advertisements and briefly review advertising regulations and accuracy of the advertisements in the light of modern knowledge. ⋯ Advertising pharmaceuticals in the BMJ and World Medicine in 1950-1980 was poorly regulated and often lacked rigour. However, advertisements were gradually modified in the light of increasing clinical pharmacological knowledge, and they reflect an exciting period for the introduction of many drugs that continue to be of benefit today.