The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7208 p124
27 July 2002

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Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (www.abpi.org.uk)

ABPI opposes "discriminatory" proposals on patient information

European proposals to pilot the provision of information to patients by pharmaceutical companies are unfair to most people, says the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.

Commenting on European proposals to allow companies to provide information to the public on HIV/AIDS, diabetes and asthma, Dr Trevor Jones, ABPI director general, said: "I am very concerned that permitting information to be provided for just three disease areas would be grossly unfair for patients who have other conditions. This situation would be even more of an anomaly for patients with more than one condition, who can get information on one disease but not on the rest."

The ABPI is also critical of the proposed five-year trial period, which it says is far too long. The association welcomes the objectives behind European proposals to reform pharmaceutical legislation, but is concerned that a proposal to broaden the definition of advertising to include promoting awareness of medicines will preclude industry involvement in promoting public health.