Romanian senator wants to ban publicity for drugs & drug stores

Alexandru Vegh, a member of the Romanian Senate, recently submitted a law draft that would ban TV and radio commercials for drugs and drug stores. Vegh, who is a member of the Magyar Democrat Union (UDMR), said he believed this law would make the population healthier. He considers that consumers should first go to the doctor and get a medical opinion before trying to treat their symptoms by taking drugs. He admitted he didn’t talk to any governmental or non-governmental organization before drafting the project. He also said his law draft isn’t based on any market research, but that, just watching TV every day, he feels consumers are misled by commercials. “Let them decide what drugs they want to purchase, no need to advertize. It’s the same with drugstores; they are all the same,” Vegh said, quoted by Hotnews.ro. In his opinion, all pharmacies are regulated and should have the same standards; a drugstore shouldn’t be better than others. If this law passed, it would not only affect pharmaceutical companies, but the media market as well. The pharma sector accounts for the highest publicity spending in the media, with over 13% of the total. editor@romania-insider.com