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Antidepressant Advertising in China and the UK: The Strengths and Limits of Policy Learning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2019

Robert Geyer  and
Fang Wang
Robert Geyer
Affiliation:
Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University. Email: r.geyer@lancaster.ac.uk.
Fang Wang*
Affiliation:
Centre for Translation Studies, University of Surrey
*
Email: fang.wang@surrey.ac.uk (corresponding author).
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Abstract

China is expected to become one of the largest markets for prescription drugs in the world and pharmaceutical advertising is becoming increasingly important, particularly in the socially and culturally contested area of mental health. This article briefly explores the background of drug advertising policies in China and the UK and focuses on the distinctive challenges of antidepressant drug regulation. Then, using tools of critical discourse analysis, it examines Chinese antidepressant adverts, and compares them with relevant British adverts. The findings indicate that, relative to the UK, Chinese antidepressant adverts are generally oversimplified, and the critical information concerning the concepts of caution, danger and adverse effects are underrepresented. However, there are many interdependent factors that contribute to the distinctive Chinese antidepressant drug regulatory regime. Hence, Chinese policymakers must maintain a delicate balance between learning from Western regulatory regimes, but also avoiding borrowing too heavily from them.

摘要

随着中国正在逐渐成为世界上最大的处方药物市场，药物广告，尤其是精神类药物广告由于其复杂的社会与文化属性而经常成为一个充满争议的热点话题。本文首先阐述了中英两国广告政策的异同，并着重分析了在抗抑郁症药物广告领域中国目前面临的挑战。然后，运用批评话语分析的研究方法，本研究详细比较了中英两国抗抑郁症药物广告的话语特点，并发现相比较于英国而言，中国目前的抗抑郁症药物广告存在整体文本过于简单化，对药物的不良反应，风险性及注意事项等方面表述不足的问题。这一现象和中国特有的抗抑郁症药物管理体系及其他因素息息相关。因此相关领域政策制定者需要在借鉴他国经验和保持本国管理体系特色两者之间寻求一种合理的平衡状态。

Keywords

antidepressant advertisingChinacritical discourse analysis (CDA)prescription drug regulationpolicy learning抗抑郁症药物广告中国批评话语分析处方药广告规则政策相互学习
Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 239 , September 2019 , pp. 752 - 774
Copyright
Copyright © SOAS University of London 2019 

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