Clause 12 - Disguised Promotion

Clause

12.1 Promotional material and activities must not be disguised.

  • Clause 12.1 Disguised Promotional Material

    Promotional material sent in the guise of personal communications, for example by using envelopes or postcards addressed in real or facsimile handwriting, is inappropriate. Envelopes must not be used for the dispatch of promotional material if they bear words implying that the contents are non-promotional, for example that the contents provide  information relating to safety. Similarly, promotional material sent electronically such as emails must not give the impression that it is non-promotional. In addition the identity of the responsible pharmaceutical company must be obvious.

    When a company pays for, or otherwise secures or arranges the publication of, promotional material in journals, such material must not resemble independent editorial matter.

    Care must be taken with company sponsored reports of meetings and the like to ensure that they are not disguised promotion. Sponsorship must be declared in accordance with Clause 9.10. 

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/3521/6/21 - Ex-employee v AstraZeneca Breach: 12.1, 14.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 07 June 2021 Completed: 29 April 2022 AUTH/3452/1/21 - Complainant v Lundbeck Breach: 2, 3.2, 4.1, 4.6, 4.9, 7.2, 7.4, 7.9, 9.1, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 14 January 2021 Completed: 10 November 2021 AUTH/3400/10/20 - Complainant v Novartis Breach: 2, 3.1, 9.1, 9.10, 12.1, 14.1, 28.1 No breach: 26.1, 26.2 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 18 October 2020 Completed: 16 August 2021 AUTH/3404/10/20 - Indivior v Camurus Breach: 2, 4.1, 4.3, 4.9, 9.1, 9.10, 12.1, 14.1, 26.1, 26.2, 28.1 No breach: 9.10 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 22 October 2020 Completed: 22 June 2021 AUTH/3356/5/20 - Complainant v Alexion Breach: 4.3, 9.1, 12.1, 26.2 No breach: 4.1 Received: 28 May 2020 Completed: 12 February 2021 AUTH/3316/3/20 and Case AUTH/3330/4/20 - Complainant v Reckitt Benckiser Breach: 7.2, 9.1, 9.10, 12.1 No breach: 2, 4.1, 4.3, 9.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 06 March 2020 Completed: 08 September 2020 AUTH/3321/3/20 - Complainant v A Menarini Breach: 12.1 No breach: 2, 4.1, 9.1, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 10 March 2020 Completed: 02 June 2020 AUTH/3525/6/21 - Complainant v Novo Nordisk Breach: 2, 4.1, 9.1, 9.10, 12.1, 18.1, 22.4 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 22 June 2021 Completed: Interim case report AUTH/3800/7/23 - Employee v AstraZeneca No breach: 2, 9.1, 12.1, 19.1, 19.2 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 22 July 2023 Completed: 01 July 2024 AUTH/3666/6/22 - Complainant v Daiichi Sankyo Breach: 9.1, 9.10 No breach: 2, 9.1, 12.1, 14.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 27 June 2022 Completed: 02 June 2023 AUTH/3648/5/22 - Complainant v Novartis Breach: 4.1, 4.3, 4.6, 4.9, 9.1 No breach: 2, 3.2, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 15 May 2022 Completed: 30 May 2023 AUTH/3514/5/21 - Ex-employee v AstraZeneca Breach: 9.1, 23.1 No breach: 2, 3.1, 4.1, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 12.1, 12.2, 14.1, 16.1, 18.1, 23.1 , 29 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 24 May 2021 Completed: 09 August 2022 AUTH/3550/7/21 - Health professional v Lundbeck Breach: 2, 3.1, 9.1, 9.10 No breach: 2, 3.1, 9.1, 9.10, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 29 July 2021 Completed: 26 July 2022 AUTH/3535/7/21 - Employee v SOBI Breach: 9.1, 14.1, 15.4, 15.9, 23.1 No breach: 2, 4.10, 9.1, 12.1, 14.1, 15.1, 15.4, 15.9 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 08 July 2021 Completed: 07 July 2022 AUTH/3451/1/21 - Complainant v Teva Breach: 2, 3.2, 4.1, 4.6, 4.9, 9.1, 28.1 No breach: 2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.6, 4.9, 9.1, 9.9, 12.1, 14.1, 26.2, 26.3, 28.1, 28.3 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 05 January 2021 Completed: 02 December 2021 AUTH/3476/2/21 - Anonymous, contactable v Leo No breach: 2, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.8, 4.10, 7.2, 7.3, 7.9, 7.11, 9.1, 12.1, 14.1, 14.3, 15.2, 15.9, 18.1, 19.1, 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 09 February 2021 Completed: 18 November 2021 AUTH/3463/1/21 - Complainant v Lundbeck Breach: 14.5 No breach: 2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.9, 9.1, 12.1, 14.1, 14.3, 26.1, 26.2, 28.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 25 January 2021 Completed: 27 September 2021 AUTH/3505/4/21 - Complainant v Britannia No breach: 2, 9.1, 12.1, 19.2, 23.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 19 April 2021 Completed: 21 September 2021 AUTH/3424/11/20: Anonymous v GlaxoSmithKline No breach: 4.1, 4.6, 4.9, 7.2, 7.4, 9.1, 9.10, 12.1, 14.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 13 November 2020 Completed: 16 September 2021 AUTH/3275/10/19 - Britannia v Ever Pharma Breach: 3.2, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.10 No breach: 2, 4.3, 7.2, 7.4, 7.8, 8.1, 9.1, 9.9, 12.1, 14.1, 16.3, 18.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 24 October 2019 Completed: 31 August 2021 AUTH/3469/2/21 - Complainant v Takeda Breach: 3.2, 9.1 No breach: 2, 3.1, 9.1, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 02 February 2021 Completed: 23 July 2021 AUTH/3438/12/20 - Complainant v Pfizer Breach: 2, 7.9, 9.1 No breach: 7.10, 12.1, 26.1 Applicable Code: 2020 Received: 04 December 2020 Completed: 08 June 2021 AUTH/3417/11/20 - Complainant v Daiichi-Sankyo Breach: 9.1, 9.10, 22.4 No breach: 2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 4.4, 4.6, 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, 9.1, 11.1, 12.1, 14.1, 14.5, 14.6, 23.1 , 26.1, 28.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 09 November 2020 Completed: 27 May 2021 AUTH/3409/10/20 - Complainant v Daiichi Sankyo Breach: 2, 3.2, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.8, 4.9, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.10, 9.1, 14.1 No breach: 9.1, 9.9, 9.10, 11.1, 11.3, 12.1, 14.5, 23.1 , 23.2, 24.1, 24.2, 26.1, 26.2 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 29 October 2020 Completed: 01 April 2021 AUTH/3393/10/20 - Anonymous v Boehringer Ingelheim No breach: 2, 9.1, 12.1, 26.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 04 October 2020 Completed: 19 March 2021 AUTH/3308/2/20 - Anonymous/Director v GlaxoSmithKline Breach: 2, 4.1, 4.4, 4.6, 9.1, 29 No breach: 2, 4.1, 4.6, 12.1, 9.1, 28.6 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 11 February 2020 Completed: 17 September 2020 AUTH/3288/12/19 - NHS Worker v Biogen No breach: 2, 9.1, 12.1, 15.2, 26.1, 26.2 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 13 December 2019 Completed: 16 September 2020 AUTH/3263/11/19 - Anonymous v Almirall Breach: 7.2, 7.4, 9.1, 28.1 No breach: 2, 12.1, 14.1, 14.3, 26.1, 28.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 17 October 2019 Completed: 05 August 2020 AUTH/3301/1/20 - Anonymous v Vifor Breach: 2, 4.1, 4.6, 4.9, 7.2, 7.3, 9.1, 14.1 No breach: 9.1, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 22 January 2020 Completed: 27 July 2020 AUTH/3295/1/20 and AUTH/3296/1/20 - Oncologist v AstraZeneca and Merck Sharp and Dohme Breach: 9.1 No breach: 2, 3.2, 9.1, 12.1, 23.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 02 January 2020 Completed: 10 July 2020 AUTH/3322/3/20 - Complainant v Bayer No breach: 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 10 March 2020 Completed: 17 June 2020 AUTH/3213/6/19 - Anonymous v Janssen No breach: 2, 3.1, 3.2, 9.1, 12.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 20 June 2019 Completed: 10 June 2020 AUTH/3258/10/19 - Complainant ex-employee v Novo Nordisk Breach: 7.1, 9.1 No breach: 2, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2, 7.5, 9.1, 12.1, 15.1, 15.2, 15.7, 15.8, 15.9 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 10 October 2019 Completed: 18 May 2020 AUTH/3273/10/19 - Complainant v Gedeon Richter Breach: 4.3, 9.1 No breach: 2, 12.1, 26.1, 28.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 28 October 2019 Completed: 24 April 2020 AUTH/3261/10/19 - Complainant v Novo Nordisk No breach: 2, 9.1, 12.1, 15.2 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 12 October 2019 Completed: 03 April 2020 AUTH/3172/3/19 - Anonymous v Sandoz No breach: 2, 9.1, 12.1, 15.2, 18.1 Applicable Code: 2019 Received: 18 March 2019 Completed: 18 September 2019

12.2 Market research activities, clinical assessments, post-marketing surveillance and experience programmes, post-authorization studies (including those that are retrospective in nature) and the like must not be disguised promotion. They must be conducted with a primarily scientific or educational purpose.

  • Clause 12.2 Non-Interventional Studies of Marketed Medicines

    The conduct of non-interventional studies of marketed medicines is dealt with in Clause 13.

  • Clause 12.2 Market Research

    Market research is the collection and analysis of information and must be unbiased and non-promotional. The use to which the statistics or information is put may be promotional. The two phases must be kept distinct.

    Attention is drawn to the Legal & Ethical Guidelines for Healthcare Market Research produced by the British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association in consultation with the ABPI.

    Market research material should be examined to ensure that it does not contravene the Code.

    Where market research is carried out by an agency on behalf of a pharmaceutical company, the agency must reveal the name of its client to the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority when the Authority requests it to do so. When commissioning market research, a company must take steps to ensure that its identity would be so made known to the Authority should a request for that information be made.