The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7247 p607
3 May 2003

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Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (www.mhra.gov.uk)
MHRA disease awareness campaigns guidelines (PDF 115K)

MHRA publishes disease awareness campaign advice

Guidelines have been produced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on disease awareness campaigns (DACs) that may be sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.

The aim is to clarify the line that has to be drawn between health education and medicines advertising. Advertising prescription medicines to the public is a criminal offence.

The guidelines say that the primary purpose of a DAC must be to increase awareness of a disease, or diseases, and to provide health educational information on illness and its management. DACs must not promote the use of any medicines. They warn that campaigns which aim to stimulate demand for a specific medicine, or medicines, are likely to be considered promotional and, therefore, illegal.

DACs may refer to the availability of treatment options, which may include medicines, the guidelines say, but not in such a way that people are encouraged to ask for particular treatment to be prescribed. The emphasis must be on the condition and its recognition rather than on treatment options. The MHRA warns that DACs for conditions where there is only one, or limited, treatment options risk drawing attention to a single product even though it might not be mentioned by name.

Dr Trevor Jones, director-general of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said that the guidelines finally remove areas of doubt so that companies can be clear about what is allowed in a DAC and what is not.

"Disease awareness campaigns can be of great benefit to the public, informing them of facts about their condition and highlighting appropriate sources of advice," he said. "These guidelines can only encourage companies to consider taking part in such campaigns."