§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek discussions on the ethics of drug advertisements with drug manufacturers to ensure their factual accuracy.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is an offence under the Medicines Act 1968 to issue a false or misleading advertisement. We work closely with the administrators of the various voluntary codes of practice in the pharmaceutical industry to maintain high ethical standards. Each of these codes contains a requirement that claims in advertisements for medicinal products should be capable of proper substantiation.
I am satisfied that the vast majority of the many thousands of advertisements issued each year comply with the high standards of factual accuracy we require. Nevertheless I propose to issue a reminder to all product licence holders of the need for scrupulous and unambiguous consistency with the permitted indications for their products in all advertisements to doctors and dentists.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek legislation to impose a requirement on drug companies that the same prominence shall be given in advertisements of drugs to side effects as to the claimed benefits.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeMedicines which are permitted to be advertised to the public are considered to be sufficiently safe for self treatment that warnings of side effects in advertisements for them are not necessary.
Advertisements for prescription-only medicines are only aimed at professionally qualified medical and dental practitioners. They are required to contain a succinct statement of any relevant entries in the data sheet relating to side-effects, precautions and contra-indications. These advertisements may only be issued if a data sheet has been sent to the practitioner so that he has a document containing the essential information about side-effects and contra-indications. I remain satisfied that existing regulations are sufficient to ensure that essential information is available to professional practitioners on the medicines they are likely to prescribe. I propose to ensure that these regulations are followed and enforced.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to check the accuracy of advertisements for medical drugs in medical magazines.
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§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeA random scrutiny of various journal advertisements is carried out by the administrative section of the Department's medicines division. In addition professional staff within the division recognise the need for vigilance and report any doubtful practices which they observe.
I am arranging for a greater concentration of existing resources to be devoted to the examination of advertisements for prescription only medicines.