Internet promotion

All promotional material must be certified in this way including audio and audio-visual material, promotional material on databases, interactive data systems and the Internet, promotional aids and representatives technical briefing materials. 

Internet Promotional materials for medicines directed at healthcare professionals to be disseminated through the internet must have a primarily technical, scientific or professional content. In addition the following should apply ... 

Promoting the formation of support networks - either where people can physically meet up or virtual ones where members of a particular group (e.g. mentors or relationship supervisors) have their own secure chatroom and noticeboard on the company intranet or on the Internet. 

A classification and labeling inventory of dangerous substances will help promote agreement within industry on classification of a substance. For some substances of high concern there may be a Community-wide harmonization of classification by the authorities. Access to information rules combines a system of publicly available information over the Internet, the current system of requests for access to information, and REACH specific rules on the protection of confidential business information. 

In the case of promotional material included on the Internet, there must be a clear, prominent statement as to where the prescribing information can be found. 

Access to promotional material directed to a UK audience provided on the Internet in relation to prescription only medicines, or medicines which, though not prescription only, may not legally be advertised to the general public, must be limited to health professionals and appropriate administrative staff. 

Information or promotional material about medicines covered by Clause 21.1 above which is placed on the Internet outside the UK will be regarded as coming within the scope of the Code if it was placed there by a UK company or an affQiate of a UK company or at the instigation or with the authority of such a company and it makes specific reference to the availability or use of the medicine in the UK. 

European public assessment reports, summaries of product characteristics and package leaflets for medicines covered by Clause 21.1 above may be included on the Internet and be accessible by members of the public provided that they are not presented in such a way as to be promotional in nature. 

Regulatory. Aspartame is permitted across the world in all major markets. It has an ADI of 40 mg/kg bw, which is significantly higher than other sweeteners. It is ironic that, historically, this sweetener has been the subject of allegations about adverse health effects. Evidence put forward has been largely anecdotal and picked up and promoted via the internet or the lay press. Scientifically controlled peer-reviewed studies have consistently failed to link aspartame consumption, even of abuse levels, to adverse health effects. The most recent review, of over 500 studies and reports about aspartame conducted by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF), concluded that... 

The utilization of patent information is, of course, promoted by diverse patent authorities. The European Patent Office (http //www.european-patent-office.org/) provides a service called esp cenet, which is easily accessible via the Internet (http //ep.espacenet.com/). In addition, inventors might conduct online file inspections via a service called epoline, which can be reached at http //www.epoline.org/. The user gains direct access to all published European patent applications and patents stored in electronic form. Patent information services are also offered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (http //www.uspto.gov/). 

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