Revised ABPI code of practice begins to bite
Evidence that the 2006 revision of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's code of practice is beginning to bite is shown by the number of companies being ruled to have brought discredit on the industry.
The latest batch of findingspublicised
by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, which polices
the ABPI code, shows
that two
more companies — Shire Pharmaceuticals Ltd (PDF 100K) and
Servier Laboratories Ltd (PDF 90K) — have discredited the industry by their promotional
practices.
Shire was ruled to have broken an undertaking not to repeat a misleading
claim in promotional material for Calcichew-D3 Forte.
Servier was found to be using training material for its representatives
that encouraged predatory behaviour in a hospital environment and advocated
actions that were likely to lead to breaches of the code. A set of training
slides encouraged representatives to approach any hospital staff, including
cleaners, to try to find out where they could contact doctors.
This brings the number of companies to have brought discredit on the
industry to seven since the revised code was introduced. Two companies
have done so twice.
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