Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Advertising Regulation ‎Methods

Regulating pharmaceutical advertisements, due to its effects on public safety and health, has highlighted the importance of government intervention and its regulatory methods in this sector. Regulating pharmaceutical advertising is very difficult because of the dynamic nature of the pharmaceutical industry, the distinction between prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter) drugs, and the dual advertising environments, namely, public/ professional. Today, governments cooperate with other economic and social actors to regulate various sectors of the economy. However, in view of the direct relationship between health products and citizens' health, when it comes to such products, governments should exercise adequate supervision over the relevant regulatory bodies. Therefore, this paper will examine the task of the government to regulate pharmaceutical advertising. Then, with a qualitative method and a descriptive approach, the mechanisms by which different countries regulate pharmaceutical advertisements will be studied. We conclude that despite the availability of various regulatory methods, governments are trying to play a standard-setting role, even in self-regulatory systems, to monitor the industry in order to support the interests of pharmaceutical firms while also preserving public health.