Drug advertisement in a medicine school in the Southern of Brazil

This is a quali-quantitative study on drug advertisement in a Medicine school in Santa Catarina state. Participants were medicine students, faculty physicians and patients of school ambulatories, totaling 1,231 interviewees. The focal group technique was used to the qualitative research; the quantitative research with a semi-structured questionnaire. 53.6% of the faculty physicians considered they were rarely or never influenced by the propaganda, and 53.7% claimed their colleagues are. Among the students, 43.2% believe that, after graduated, they will rarely or never be influenced; while 42.0% believe that graduated are always or frequently influenced. For 41.7%, the information given by the representatives of the pharmaceutical industry is good or excellent. Also, 74.8% reported that the pharmaceutical industry will be able to contribute for their professional practice. This study identified that the distribution of free drug samples are one of the main advertising and propaganda techniques used by the pharmaceutical industry; as there is a certain pressure of the medical preceptor upon the choice of the prescription; although no direct impact of the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the ambulatories was observed. Drug prescription is usually not rational.