Bulletins

7 April 2008

‘The ABPI Code: Still nifty at fifty?’ campaign is launched today to mark the 50th anniversary of the ABPI Code later this year. The campaign will run throughout 2008 and will target the pharmaceutical industry, MPs, health professionals, patient organisations and PR and marketing professionals.

Date advertisements appeared: 7 March 2008

ProStrakan Limited and UCB Pharma Ltd have each breached the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry and brought discredit upon, and/or reduced confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.

ProStrakan breached the Code by re-using in an advertisement a claim that was previously ruled in breach of the Code, failing to include prescribing information on the advertisement and promoting a medicine inappropriately.

7 March 2008

ProStrakan and UCB Pharma are the subjects of advertisements in the medical and pharmaceutical press which highlight breaches of The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Under provisions in its Constitution and Procedure, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) advertises brief details of all cases where companies are ruled in breach of Clause 2 of the Code, are required to issue a corrective statement or are the subject of a public reprimand.

It is a requirement of the Code that promotional material should be sent only to those people whose need for, or interest in, the particular information can reasonably be assumed. Material for clinicians might not be appropriate for use with administrative staff. Similarly material sent to one medical speciality might not be appropriate for another. Companies must ensure that mailings are properly targeted so that they comply with the Code in this regard. Mailings sent to a diverse audience but written on the basis of ‘one size fits all’ are likely to be unacceptable.

18 February 2008 

An updated set of the proposed changes have now been sent to chief executives of all ABPI member companies and those non-member companies that have agreed to comply with the Code for response by Friday, 14 March 2008. Other stakeholders, such as the MHRA, BMA, RPSGB and RCN have also been sent the latest changes.

The Code is currently being reviewed to take account of new requirements in the EFPIA codes that are not already covered in the 2006 ABPI Code. These changes must be incorporated into the ABPI Code by 1 July 2008.

It is acceptable for companies to arrange advisory board meetings and the like and to pay health professionals and others for advice on subjects relevant to their products. Nonetheless the arrangements for such meetings have to comply with the Code.

As with promotional meetings, the requirement that hospitality be of an appropriate standard, as set out in Clause 19 of the Code, has to be followed. The meeting should be held in an appropriate venue conducive to the purpose of the meeting.

Date advertisements appeared: 8 December 2007

Sanofi-Aventis, Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals UK Limited, AstraZeneca UK Limited, Takeda UK Limited, Pfizer Limited and Eli Lilly and Company Limited have each breached the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry and brought discredit upon, and/or reduced confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.

Clause 9.10 of the Code states that material relating to medicines and their uses, whether promotional in nature or not, which is sponsored by a pharmaceutical company must clearly indicate that it has been sponsored by that company.

Press releases about a medicine do not require prescribing information, although it is considered good practice to include a summary of product characteristics. Once a press release is issued, however, a company should have no control over the placement of any subsequent article and nor should it, or its agent, make any payment in relation to an article’s publication. Where articles appear in the press should be at the publisher’s discretion and articles should be printed wholly at the publisher’s expense.

Pharmaceutical companies commonly issue press releases which contain product claims and pack shots (or a statement that a pack shot is available on request). Once a press release is issued, however, neither a company nor its agent should be able to exert any control over the placement of the subsequent article and nor should any payment be made in relation to the article’s publication. Whether and where articles appear in the press should be solely at the publisher’s discretion and articles should be printed entirely at the publisher’s expense.