UK regulator gets militant on drug ads

This is the message from new, tougher guidance which has been launched at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)’s first ever seminar on advertising.

Speaking about the launch of the new guidance, Professor Kent Woods, chief executive of the MHRA, said, “Most pharmaceutical advertising is carefully and responsibly put together, and the very best advertising helps health professionals and the public to make informed choices about healthcare. However, we have seen a number of examples of poor practice, where advertising is confusing or misleading. It is vital that we tackle this type of poor practice swiftly and effectively.”

The main changes in the new guidance are tougher measures against poor practice, greater scrutiny of companies breaching the guidelines, and greater efficacy in reviewing advertising.

As well as 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 engaging in poor practice.

Furthermore, companies that regularly breach the guidelines will be subject to review of their whole advertising portfolio to ensure that it meets the appropriate standards.

“The key principle behind the guidelines is that they must protect the public, by preventing people from being misled by poor advertising,” Woods continued. “It is important that the guidelines evolve to reflect public perception; over the next year, we are planning to hold discussions with a number of patient representatives to assess whether the guidelines meet that need, or whether further changes are required.”