Illegal Drug Advertisings and Strategy

Abstract

From news, cases of consumers harmful affecting by drugs were mostly bought under
influencing via online advertisement. Nowadays, it is a very easy approach in purchasing drugs
online. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine illegal drug advertising situation,
in order to creating a proper measures to monitor these current illegal situation, especially
emphasizing towards the relevant stake holders. Methodology: The study was a descriptive research.
The study started from collecting 500 online drug-advertisings by accidental sampling in the period
of 15-22 November 2019, which was intended designing to cover 7 days of the week, from
manufacturers’ websites, common websites (health websites, government websites, for example),
e-marketplace websites, social media websites, and online shops/online drug stores. Then,
content analysis was applied to analyze the contents, in term of message and forms, accordingly
to the Law/Regulation. Results: From all 500 drug-advertisings collected, could be identified as
drug-advertising of drug products 451 items (90.20%) and drug-advertising of others products
49 items (9.86%). With further identification accordingly to notification/serial number system of
all other health law/regulation, we found that these 49 items were food 3 items (0.60%); medical
device 12 items (2.40%); cosmetic 16 items (3.20%); herbal medicine 7 items (1.40%), and as
drug-advertising needed further analysis 11 items (2.20%). We then conducted an additional further
analytical step pertinent to drug law/regulation (Registration and Advertising criteria) on these
advertisings 451 items, the study demonstrated that 376 items (83.37%) were illegal drugadvertisings
of illegal-drugs (no evidence of registration data) 25 items (5.54%) and legally registration
drugs 351 items (93.35%). These 351 legally registered drug were generic drugs (not dangerous drugs,
specially controlled drugs, nor household drug) 207 items (45.89%), dangerous drugs 101 items
(22.39%), household drugs 25 items (5.54%), specially controlled drugs 18 items (3.99%). When
applied additionally identification on advertising-sources, the study shown that those 376 illegal
drug-advertisings were mostly found in e-marketplace websites (170 of 376 items = 45.21%),
following by online shops/drug stores (133 of 376 items = 35.37%), social media (49 of 376 items
= 13.03%), manufacture’s website (15 of 376 items = 3.99%), general websites (7 of 376 items
วารสารอาหารและยา ฉบับเดือนมกราคม-เมษายน 2563 43
= 1.86%), and health websites (2 of 376 items = 0.83%). These 376 illegal drug-advertisings could
be identified, accordingly to drug law/regulation, either as “advertise without permission” to
Drug Act B.E. 2510 section 88 bis (1) and/or as “not correctly advertise, as permission” to
Drug Act B.E. 2510 section 88 bis (2), in the total of 100%. Conclusion: Problems on illegal drugadvertisings
online nowadays is an important issue and need an urgently solution. It is necessary
to involve horizontal cooperation from all relevant stakeholders to monitor the situation,
especially conducting an legal actions, strengthening drug-advertising law/regulation, as well as
educating all other involving parties, such as advertiser; media owner; and consumer/public.
The most important issues are the fruitful cooperation among online media for screening
advertising information prior to be launched on each one’s platform. The ultimate outcome of
these actions/measure is for overall customer protection and welfare.