Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices

Where a journal is produced in the UK but intended for distribution solely to overseas countries local requirements and/or the requirements of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA) Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices should be borne in mind. 

IFPMA Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations)... 

In the same way that the medical profession has recognized the need to provide its members with guidance on their relationship with the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmaceutical industry has realized that its employees need guidance as well. The industry is concerned that its employees may sully the pharmaceutical industry s reputation. The industry does not want their interactions with healthcare professionals to be perceived as inappropriate by patients or the public at large (PhRMA 2002). In order to avoid being overrun with the detailed nature of voluntary codes at the level of national associations, it is perhaps most instructive to start with the general principles contained in the IFPMA Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (IFPMA 2000). 

Pharmaceutical companies have recourse to aU the art of sophisticated advertising, promotion, public relations and specialist agencies, as well as having their own trained marketing professionals. Consequently written, documentary and published promotional items are usually reviewed and scrutinised by the company medical advisers for conformity with the known data and the ABPI Code of Practice, while the regulatory affairs professionals usually ensure conformity with the product licence. A pharmaceutical... 

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 know to the Authority should a request for that information be made. 

CRBPC s Rx D Code of Marketing Practice provides that member companies must not distribute service-oriented items or conduct "special promotions", which cannot be justified if subjected to scrutiny by members of the health professions and the public (CRBPC 2005). Acceptable service-oriented items are defined as items the primary goal of which is to enhance the healthcare practitioner s/patient s understanding of a condition or its treatment. When member companies provide hospitality, they must ensure that all hospitality is conducted within the limits of acceptable public and professional scrutiny, keeping in mind the need for an ethical relationship in any social interaction between healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies (CRBPC 2005). During such interactions, companies may provide participants with refreshments/meals that are modest in content and cost. In all instances, the provision of refreshments/meals must be clearly incidental. No other form of hospitality or entertainment is to be provided. 

Canada s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (CRBPC). 2005. Rx D Code of Marketing Practices. Available at http //www.canadapharma.org/home e.htm [Accessed November 15, 2005]. 

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) code is intended to provide minimum standards and universal principles for ethical marketing conduct on which national codes can be based. It is used as an operational code only in those countries (e.g. less developed countries) where no other code exists. In practice the self-regulatory national codes in developed countries are usually stricter and more detailed than the IFPMA code. 

Additional self-regulatory industry associations include Canada s research-based pharmaceutical companies which have a code of marketing practice based on the principles of the IFPMA, called the Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) this administers the Canada Code of Advertising Standards (ASC). It is not specific to the pharmaceutical industry but relates to advertising in general. 

The Norwegian Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (LMI) has a voluntary code of conduct that promotes the practice of fair and ethical marketing. 

International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations. Code of Marketing Practices, April 2006 (www.ifpma.org/pdf/IFPMA-TheCode-FinalVersion-30May2006-EN.pdf). 

Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. Code of Marketing Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry, 6th edn, December 2005... 

Swedish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry. Code of Marketing Practice, June 2002 (www.lif.se/pdf/Rules drug information.pdf). 

Medicines Control Agency, the Committee on the Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission, based on the product s possible use, any side effects and risk of its misuse. POMs and certain pharmacy sales medicines must not be promoted to the general public, but can be marketed to the medical profession. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Code of Practice regulates promotional activities (Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, 2001). 

The ABPI is the trade association that represents the manufacturers of prescription medicines. Formed in 1930, it now represents some 80 companies, which produce over 80% of the medicines supplied to the National Health Service (NHS). The ABPI has had a code of practice since 1958, the Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry, which governs the promotion of medicines to health professionals, and has operated a system whereby complaints made about the advertising of prescription medicines are taken up and considered under the Code. It is a condition of membership of the ABPI to abide by the Code of Practice. In addition, some 70 companies that are not members of the ABPI have given their formal agreement to abide by the Code and to accept the jurisdiction of the PMCPA over complaints made under the Code. Thus, the Code is accepted by almost all pharmaceutical companies operating in the prescription medicines market in the UK. 

All information supplied through a pharmaceutical company marketing department will be regarded as promotional in nature. After all, the information would not be disseminated unless it was designed to increase the consumption of the medicinal product in question. Information can only be regarded as non-promotional if its dissemination is supervised by the medical department and is clearly scientific and factual in nature. Even then it should be clearly understood that information sent out by the medical department can be subject to and considered under the Code of Practice. The concept of promotional information can be readily controlled and be acceptable to prescribers as unbiased information when it has been seen to be subject to medical department review and approval in the same way that promotional material is reviewed and approved. Indeed, one would advise that when scientific information is to be used on a promotional basis, for example a scientific article or medical report, it should be clear that the piece is being used with the support of the medical department review process. 

Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry (Clause 18.1) 2001. London, ABPI, 2001. Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry/British Pharmaceutical Market Research Group. Guidelines on Pharmaceutical Market Research Practice. London ABPI, 1992. 

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