Publicidad médica maliciosa y desleal en el ejercicio profesional de la medicina. Su problemática ética, moral y jurídica actual en Venezuela

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the knowledge of physicians about advertising, marketing, medical branding of health services from an ethical, moral, deontological and legal analysis. As a current problem in Venezuela. Approach: It is essential to establish, first of all, what is the nature of the medical activity, to specify its object, to delimit its field of action, and then to determine if it is possible to equate it with the activities that are usually promoted through advertising, marketing and branding. Description: Advertising, public relations, marketing communications, news and editorial share a common goal of truthfulness and high ethical standards in serving the public, especially when it comes to medical advertising since its raw material is the human body. Point of view: It is an evident fact that in recent times, messages that explicitly or covertly promote medical or surgical treatments performed by certain physicians, or that highlight personal characteristics of some of them, with the obvious purpose of attracting patients, have frequently appeared in mass or selective media (social networks). Conclusion: It can be concluded that advertising in the medical field also deserves special attention from the State institutions, since the eventual deception here also affects health, and therefore the regulations should be urgently updated to adapt to the new times and contrary to the interests of citizens in health matters.