Agency stops discount schemes
Three pharmaceutical wholesalers have halted or modified promotional schemes which the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency claims broke the law on gifts to health professionals.
Numark and Nucare both dropped incentive schemes that offered discounts
on shares when the companies came to the market.
The AAH scheme offered points redeemable against travel linked to purchases
of own-label products.
Health Minister Lord Warner said: “Any activities which try to
persuade health professionals to prescribe, purchase or supply medicines
by means of inducements or gifts are a serious breach of trust.”
The Medicines (Advertising) Regulations 1994 prohibit gifts, advantages
and benefits in kind when medicines are promoted unless they are inexpensive
and relevant to the practice of medicine or pharmacy.
David Wood, Numark’s managing director, said that he did not agree
with the MHRA’s interpretation of the law. Numark’s innovative
price scheme was, in his view, a long way removed from the type of inducement
envisaged in the Regulations.
Dr Mandeep Mudhar, director of marketing at AAH, said that AAH withdrew
the part of its scheme that related to own products last year and has
since had confirmation from the MHRA that its current scheme complies
with the regulations. |
