[Is drug advertising reliable?].

In order to assess the quality of pharmaceutical advertising in Norway, we conducted a review of advertisements for selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors published in the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association and the journal Legemidler og samfunn during the period 1995-97. 18 advertisements with 38 reference citations were identified. In six citations (16%), errors made it impossible to identify the source with certainty solely on the basis of the advertisement. Under Norwegian drug advertisement regulations, a total of 56 statements should have been followed by a reference citation. In 18 of these (33%), it was debatable whether the statements were in accordance with the regulations. This review indicates that a significant proportion of the statements in drug advertisements is inaccurate and gives a too positive picture of the properties of the drug.