Advertising and promoting of meds and services Flashcards
Definition of Med Advertisement
-advertisement is any thing or activity which is intended to encourage prescription or supply by healthcare professionals and use of medicines by the general public, generally by means of highlighting qualities of the medicine
Regulatory Framework
-statutory:
-HMR and MHRA
-Blue guide: advertising and promotion of meds in the UK
-Legislation for controlling advertising :
Trade Descriptions Act
Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations
Communications Act
Bribery Act
Self Regulatory bodies
- ABPI (association of British pharmaceutical industry)
- PAGB (proprietary association of GB)
ABPI Code
- applied to promotion of meds to uk health professionals and administrative staff
- it includes all activities undertaken by pharmaceutical companies
- journal and direct mail advertising
- Drug company representatives
- supply of samples
- sponsorship of meetings
- also includes non promotional info made available to public on POMs
ABPI Clauses
- activities or materials associated with promotion must never be such as to bring discredit upon, or reduce confidence in the pharmaceutical industry
- medicine can’t be promoted prior to MA which permits sale or supply
- prescribing info must be made clear and legible manner in all promotional material for med except for abbreviated advertisements
PAGB
- code of practice for advertising PTC med including herbal
- consumer code: advertising aimed directly at consumers and those persons who may purchase med on behalf of consumer
- professional code: aimed wholly or mainly at PQPS, where object of the advertising is to influence sales and or recommendations to public
What is advertising and promotion of meds?
Applies to all media -journals, magazines, newspapers -posters -radio Internet
Excluded:
- reference material, factual informative statements or announcements, provided that they do not make a product claim
- info relating to human health or diseases where there is no reference to med products
General Rules for Advertising Medicine
- product must have MA, certificate of registration or herbal registration to be advertised for med purposes
- responsibility for advertising and promotion of med lies with MA, certificate of reg or traditional herbal reg holder
- need consent of MA holder to issue an advert for their med product
Advertising to Health Professionals
- aimed at HCP who are PQPS
- POM only for PQPS
- PQPS include doctor, dentist, pharmacy
- professionals qualified to supply PFS, including dieticians, OP, SLT
What must the advertisement contain for HCP?
- essential info compatible with SPC about adverse reactions, dosage and method of use, precautions and relevant contraindications.
- License number
- Name and address of MA holder
- Classification of product
- Name of product and list of active ingredients
- Indications
- Pharmaceutical precautions
- Cost, excluding VAT
- Be legible, accurate, up-to-date, verifiable and sufficient to allow the recipient to form own opinion of the medicines therapeutic value
Medical Sales Representatives
- Training and sufficient scientific knowledge
- High standard of ethical conduct
- Not employ any inducement or subterfuge to gain a meeting
- Not cause inconvenience to health professionals
- Provide a copy of the SPC to all persons whom they visit
Free Samples
“A small supply of a medicine provided to health professionals so that they may familiarise themselves with it and acquire experience in dealing with it”
A sample of a medicine must:
- only be given to a health professional qualified to prescribe it
- not be a narcotic / psychotropic drug
- only be supplied in response to written requests
- only be supplied on exceptional and limited basis
- be no bigger than the smallest pack available in the UK
- be marked ‘free medical sample – not for resale’
- include a copy of the SPC
- Free samples of OTC medicines are not permitted
Gifts
No gift, benefit or financial advantage shall be offered or given to health professions as an inducement to prescribe, supply, administer, recommend, buy or sell any medicine unless it is
- inexpensive, and
- relevant to the practice of medicine or pharmacy.
Health professionals may be provided with items which are to be passed on to patients and which are part of a formal patient support programme
Professional codes on gifts
General Medical Council
‘You must act in your patients’ best interests when making referrals and when providing or arranging treatment or care. You must not ask for or accept any inducement, gift or hospitality which may affect or be seen to affect the way you prescribe for, treat or refer patients’.
General Pharmaceutical Council
‘Do not ask for or accept gifts, rewards or hospitality that may affect, or be seen to affect, your professional judgement’.
Hospitality
- Companies must not provide hospitality to members of the health professions and appropriate administrative staff except in association with scientific meetings, promotional meetings, scientific congresses and other such meetings, and training
- The meeting must have a clear educational content
- The venue must be appropriate and conducive to the main purpose of the meeting
- Hospitality should be “reasonable” in level
Advertising of medicinesto the public
-“Advertisers have a responsibility to ensure that advertising of medicines available for self medication does not in any way put patient and consumer safety at risk.” (MHRA)
Advertising is permitted for:
- P and GSL to the public
- Government controlled vaccination campaigns that have been approved by the Health Minister
-Must be clear it is an advertisement and that the product being advertised is a medicine