Good news! The UK’s Code of Practice regulator has issued guidance on social media and other digital communications tools.
Bad news! There’s precious little relevance for American marketers.
Nevertheless …
The PMCPA has put together a Q&A document to explain how digital communication fits into its existing regulations. It took this step, rather than amend UK pharma’s self-regulatory Code, because “there have been few complaints about digital communication.”
Ah, our transatlantic cousins doth protest too little!
The Q&A document explains the place of digital communication tools within the existing rules, which ultimately comes down to companies can use digital media if they stick to the Code. It also adds particular emphasis on the Code’s existing ban on promoting prescription-only medicines to the public. “Therefore, pharmaceutical companies need to identify ways of utilising digital communications whilst complying with this restriction."
The PMCPA’s Q&A can be found here.
