Interfirm self‐regulation through trade associations is common but its effectiveness is debated and likely varies by time, country, and industry. This study examines self‐regulation of pharmaceutical marketing, characterized by delegation of major regulatory responsibilities to trade associations' self‐regulatory bodies. In addressing critical research gaps, this study first analyzes 1,776 complaints against pharmaceutical companies in the UK over 18 years (2004–2021). Findings regarding severe, repeat, and complex offending, and delays in complaint resolution raise significant concerns about the adequacy of UK's self‐regulation in deterring wrongdoing. Second, the study conducts international comparisons using recent complaints data from 30 European pharmaceutical industry self‐regulatory bodies. Despite shortcomings of UK's self‐regulation, it appears more adept at identifying potential breaches compared to most other countries, suggesting significant underdetection or underreporting of drug company misconduct in Europe. On balance, our findings are concerning given the negative effects of poorly regulated pharmaceutical marketing on medical practice and health.

中文翻译：

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公司不当行为、累犯和投诉解决延迟的模式：欧洲背景下英国制药行业自我监管的时间分析


通过行业协会进行的企业间自我监管很常见，但其有效性存在争议，并且可能会因时间、国家和行业的不同而有所不同。本研究探讨了药品营销的自我监管，其特点是将主要监管责任委托给行业协会的自律机构。为了解决关键的研究空白，本研究首先分析了 18 年来（2004 年至 2021 年）针对英国制药公司的 1,776 起投诉。关于严重、重复和复杂犯罪以及投诉解决延迟的调查结果引起了人们对英国在阻止不法行为方面的自我监管是否充分的严重担忧。其次，该研究利用 30 个欧洲制药行业自律机构的最新投诉数据进行了国际比较。尽管英国的自我监管存在缺陷，但与大多数其他国家相比，英国似乎更擅长识别潜在违规行为，这表明欧洲制药公司的不当行为严重未被发现或漏报。总的来说，鉴于监管不善的药品营销对医疗实践和健康产生的负面影响，我们的研究结果令人担忧。