Clause 11 - Distribution of Promotional Material

Clause

11.1 Promotional material should only be sent or distributed to those categories of persons whose need for, or interest in, the particular information can reasonably be assumed.

  • Clause 11.1 Distribution of Promotional Material

    Promotional material should be tailored to the audience to whom it is directed. For example, promotional material devised for general practitioners might not be appropriate for hospital doctors and, similarly, material devised for clinicians might not be appropriate for use with other relevant decision makers.

most recent cases See all Applicable Code year
Applicable Code year

Please check the date of the Code that applies to the Case that you are looking at. The date of the complaint may vary from the activity/material alleged to have been in breach.
AUTH/2976/9/17 - Hospital Consultant v AstraZeneca Email promotion of Qtern Breach: 7.2, 9.1, 9.9, 11.1, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2016 Received: 09 September 2017 Completed: 20 November 2017 AUTH/3163/2/19 - Complainant v Alexion Breach: 3.1, 14.1 No breach: 4.1, 4.9, 11.1, 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 Applicable Code: 2016 Received: 20 February 2019 Completed: 12 November 2019 AUTH/3166/2/19 - Complainant v Sanofi Breach: 9.1, 14.5, 26.1, 26.2 No breach: 2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.9, 9.9, 11.1, 12.1, 14.1, 16.1, 28.1, 28.6 Applicable Code: 2016 Received: 27 February 2019 Completed: 11 June 2019 AUTH/3142/1/19 - Complainant v Sanofi Online advertisement  No breach: 9.1, 11.1, 26.1, 26.2 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 07 January 2019 Completed: 24 April 2019 AUTH/2934/2/17 - Health professional consultant to a pharmaceutical company v Johnson & Johnson Promotion of Nicorette Breach: 4.4 No breach: 4.1, 4.3, 9.1, 11.1, 26.1 Applicable Code: 2016 Received: 08 February 2017 Completed: 10 May 2017 AUTH/2887/11/16 - Anonymous health professional v AstraZeneca Meeting attendees and speaker reference to Saxagliptin Breach: 9.1 No breach: 9.1, 11.1, 15.2, 22.1, 2 Applicable Code: 2016 Received: 14 November 2016 Completed: 10 February 2017 AUTH/2852/6/16 - Ex-employee v Grunenthal Medical science liaisons’ working practices No breach: 2, 3.2, 9.1, 11.1, 12.1, 15.2, 15.4, 15.9 Applicable Code: 2016 Received: 20 June 2016 Completed: 14 September 2016

11.2 Restraint must be exercised on the frequency of distribution and on the volume of promotional material distributed.

  • Clause 11.2 Frequency of Mailings

    The style of mailings is relevant to their acceptability to doctors and criticism of their frequency is most likely to arise where their informational content is limited.

    In the first six months following the launch of a new medicine, a health professional may be sent an initial mailing giving detailed information about its use, including, for example, the summary of product characteristics, the public assessment report, the package leaflet and the product monograph, and no more than three other mailings about the medicine.

    No more than eight mailings for a particular medicine may be sent to a health professional in a year.

    Mailings concerned solely with safety issues can be sent in addition to the above as can mailings about price changes which contain no product claims.

    The limitations on frequency of mailings do not apply to emails as these can only be sent with the prior permission of the recipient.

11.3 Mailing lists must be kept up-to-date. Requests to be removed from promotional mailing lists must be complied with promptly and no name may be restored except at the addressee’s request or with their permission.

Interactive 2016 Code
Download Code of Practice 2016
image description
Changes to the 2015 Code and Constitution and Procedure