In February 2005, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched new, tougher guidance on advertising and promotion of medicines.
The key principle behind the guidelines is to prevent people from being misled by confusing advertising.
The main changes in the new guidance include:
Tougher measures against poor practice. In addition to any legal action which the Agency pursues over unlawful practice, it will also be publishing every review of an advert on its website, and "naming and shaming" those companies which engage in poor practice.
Greater scrutiny. Companies which regularly breach the guidelines will be subject to review of their whole advertising portfolio to ensure that it meets the appropriate standards.
Greater efficiency. The Agency has put in place more streamlined processes to ensure that advertising is reviewed as quickly as possible.
Over the next year, the MHRA is planning to hold discussions with a number of patient representatives to assess whether the guidelines reflect public perception, or whether further changes are required.
The Blue Guide: advertising and promotion of medicines in the UK
