Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20118

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Magazine

Wenley S
Changes to advertising code
New Zealand GP 1998 Dec 162

Full text:

The code for therapeutic advertising has been changed after much consulting and many submissions from various medical professionals, groups and consumers.

Direct-to-consumer advertisements for prescription drugs will be expected to have a high standard of social responsibility but not supply all the drug information, applicable to doctors only, that’s been expected in the past.

Glen Wigg, executive director of the Advertising Standards Authority, says there has been a lot of ‘codswallop’ that average consumers don’t understand.

“What we are saying for consumer ads is that you must have simple messages like ‘consult your doctor’ and ‘take strictly as directed’.

Mr Wigg says other messages must also include the following: ‘If symptoms continue or you have side-effects, see your doctor/pharmacist/health professional.

“If there is additional product information available say where people can get it – like on the packet, or a web page, or a toll-free number or send for it or whatever. That’s all that fine print stuff which goes on for ages”.

Mr Wigg says if there’s a charge or prescription fee the ad should say ‘A charge applies, consult your doctor’.

“All the way through we are saying ‘go back to your doctor’. The messages should also be obvious to the viewer, reader or listener.

He feels that in the past, pharmaceutical ads have been designed to confuse the consumer. If ads breach this voluntary code the Authority requests the ad to be withdrawn.

Mr Wigg says, to date, there has been a 100 percent compliance and it applies to print, radio, television and web pages.

But the Medicines Act is still completely out of date as it assumes all medical advertising is aimed at doctors and is in print, says Mr Wigg.

But, as he says, the world has changed and although there have been pressures to get the Medicine Act changes it hasn’t happened yet.

It’s anticipated that the Ministry of Health will be reviewing the Act soon.

As for the future of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription medicines, Mr Wigg says it’s definitely going to increase.

But this doesn’t impress the NZMA’s chairman. Dr Anton Wiles feels that everyone in the industry seems to think this was all that was needed.

“I really don’t mind if their ads breach or don’t breach advertising guidelines. My concern will be if what they are doing gets in between me and my patient. That’s the concern that most doctors have”.

Dr Wiles says if things are consistently getting in the way of doctor/patient relationship he believes there will be more specific regulations stopping it.

He sees the standards as voluntary for the industry and if they continue to go outside the rules he will ‘personally continue to jump up and down at it’.

“I’d be happy with much less advertising to the consumer. Many of my colleagues would be happy with no advertising to the consumer”.

Meanwhile, Terrence Aschoff, RMI chief executive, says the RMI is pleased with the new code and happy to comply with it.

The changes will come into effect on February next year but the Advertising Standards Authority hopes therapeutic advertisements will adhere to it from now.