Three more companies discredit the industry
Three more companies are revealed to have recently brought discredit on the UK pharmaceutical industry in the latest batch of rulings published by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority.
The November code of practice review — published by the PMCPA,
which enforces the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry’s
code of practice — reveals that Pfizer
brought discredit on the
industry by linking the provision of the services of nurse advisers at
medical practices to the use of Lipitor (atorvastatin).
Janssen-Cilag
was ruled to have brought discredit on the industry because
its public relations company offered to pay journalists £200 each
to attend a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence appeal
hearing over NICE’s decision not to recommend the use of erythropoietins
for chemotherapy-induced anaemia, including Eprex (epoetin alfa). Janssen-Cilag
was held responsible for the actions of its PR company, even though it
did not know about the offer.
Daiichi-Sankyo
was ruled to have discredited the industry for a second
time for reusing an advertisement that had previously been found in breach
of the code.
The November PMCPA review also provides details
of how Merck Sharp & Dohme brought discredit on the industry (PJ, 7 October 2006, p417) and its
subsequent suspension from ABPI membership. The ABPI reinstated MSD’s
membership on 3 January, although it said the comany’s compliance
should be audited within six months. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
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