Pharmaceutical company Web sites for health professionals should require only disclaimers -- Glaxo counsel.

Executive Summary

COMPANY WEB SITES FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD NOT REQUIRE PASSWORDS, only disclaimers, Glaxo counsel Patricia Gaegler told the Drug Information Association annual meeting in Montreal June 23. "There has been some suggestion raised as to whether or not passwords should be required to help prevent consumers from being exposed to promotion that is intended for healthcare professionals," Gaegler noted. However, a password system would put a "tremendous burden on the pharmaceutical company to check out in fact that the information being supplied [for the password] is valid. Consumers could simply lie and say that they are healthcare professionals," Gaegler maintained.