Complaints About Advertising Of Medicines, UK

Main Category: Medical Malpractice / Litigation
Article Date: 22 Jul 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The outcomes of the investigations into four complaints about the advertising of medicines have been published:

Cases upheld

-- Calpol Night (paracetamol & diphenhydramine hydrochloride) and CalCough Chesty (guaiphenesin) - Calpol website - June 2008
-- Artelac (hypromellose) 0.32% Eye Drops, supply of samples - April and June 2008

Cases not upheld

-- Omacor (omega-3-acid ethyl esters), Healthcare Professionals - June 2008
-- Direct to Consumer advertising - Paling Walters website - June 2008

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) is the (UK) government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe. No product is risk-free. Underpinning all our work lie robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits to patients and the public justify the risks. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take any necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem. We encourage everyone - the public and healthcare professionals as well as the industry - to tell us about any problems with a medicine or medical device, so that we can investigate and take any necessary action. www.mhra.gov.uk