Healthy Skepticism Library item: 16233

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Magazine

Companies fall foul of MHRA rules on promoting medicines
PJ Online 2009 Jul 24
http://www.pjonline.com/news/companies_fall_foul_of_mhra_rules_on_promoting_medicines

Full text:

Details of complaints made about marketing material relating to several medicinal products and upheld by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have been published.

German company Pascoe fell foul of MHRA standards over material promoting Botanova (containing extracts of St John’s wort, passion flower and valerian). A website and advertisement produced by the company were both found to contain suggestions of efficacy or statements that did not comply with the rules governing promotion of traditional herbal medicines. And press information suggested that Botanova is not associated with drug-drug interactions.

In a separate case, Breakspear Medical Group agreed to amend its website after concerns were raised that information on individual measles, mumps and rubella vaccines gave a misleading impression of the relative risks and benefits of different vaccination approaches.

Another company – Hard to Find Medicines – was taken to task over its website, which promoted a service sourcing prescription medicines for consumers. It agreed to remove specific promotional material about prescription only medicines and unlicensed medicines.

Movetis was also found to have broken the rules over e-mails it sent to UK healthcare professionals that contained promotional information about the unlicensed medicine prucalopride.