BMJ  2005;331:1409 (10 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7529.1409

Letter

New ABPI code provides more information for patients

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Editor—Shaw et al highlight the benefits that will result if the pharmaceutical industry is enabled to communicate better with those who are its ultimate customers—patients.¹

The revised ABPI (Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry) code addresses in more detail the provision of information to the public. As for the current code, information must be factual and presented in a balanced way and must not raise unfounded hopes of successful treatment or be misleading about the safety of the product. Statements must not be made for the purpose of encouraging members of the public to ask their health professional to prescribe a specific prescription only medicine (clause 20.2).

However, the new supplementary information to clause 20.2 sets out in much more detail than currently the type of information that can be provided by the industry. For example, reference information has been introduced as a comprehensive, up to date resource for the . . . [Full text of this article]

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), London SW1A 2DY rley@abpi.org.uk

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Medicare's new prescription drug plan causes confusion

Fred Charatan
BMJ 2005 331: 1225. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Information for patients on medicines

Joanne M Shaw, Geraldine Mynors, and Caroline Kelham
BMJ 2005 331: 1034-1035. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Online poll

Find out more >>