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Ethical Promotion of Medicines
The research-based pharmaceutical industry is the primary source of information about its own products and recognises its responsibility for ensuring product information is accurate and does not mislead. Advertising and promotion are an essential for informing health care professionals about new medicines and new uses for existing medicines. Self-regulation, via the IFPMA Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, supplemented by member association and company codes, sets standards for the ethical promotion of medicines.
> ISSUE BRIEF DOCUMENT:
"Ensuring Ethical Promotion of Pharmaceutical Products: The IFPMA Code" (Oct 2009)
Self-Regulation of Pharmaceutical Promotion
The international research-based pharmaceutical industry is committed to the improvement of the health of mankind through the research, development, production, marketing and safety surveillance of new medicines of reliable quality, in accordance with internationally defined standards of good practice.
As part of its commitment to health, the industry has an obligation and responsibility to provide accurate information about its products to health care providers, in order to establish a clear understanding of the appropriate uses of each prescription medicine.
Promotional activities (marketing practices) must be consistent with high ethical standards and information should be designed to help health care providers to improve the services provided to patients. Information provided must be objective, truthful and in good taste. It must also conform to all relevant laws and regulations. Claims for therapeutic indications and conditions of use must be based on valid scientific evidence and must include clear statements with respect to side effects, contra-indications and precautions.
The same high standards of ethical behaviour should apply to the marketing of pharmaceutical products in all countries, regardless of the level of development of their economic and health care systems.
These principles are embodied in the IFPMA Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, first adopted as the foundation of a global approach self-regulation by the pharmaceutical industry in 1981 and updated frequently since then. The IFPMA continues to support self-regulation as the most appropriate mechanism for ensuring ethical marketing and promotion of medicines by pharmaceutical companies.