Voluntary Control of Drug Promotion in Sweden

Ethical aspects of the interaction between doctors and the pharmaceutical industry are often discussed in the Journal,1 2 3 and the suggestion was recently made that a commission be established to develop guidelines for ethical behavior.2 Sweden has had a voluntary commission of this type for more than 20 years. The commission sets guidelines for the marketing activities of pharmaceutical companies and monitors their adherence to these guidelines.The initiative came from the pharmaceutical industry itself. Almost all pharmaceutical companies in Sweden are members of either the Association of the Swedish Pharmaceutical Industry or the Association of Representatives of Foreign Pharmaceutical . . .