An ex-employee of Gedeon Richter, which is the largest biotechnology and pharmaceutical company based in Hungary, complained to the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) -- the policing arm of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) -- about two tweets sent by an events company engaged by Gedeon Richter.
The first tweet, which was sent on 9 November 2012, read "Register for the event 'Sharing surgical experience after the use of ulipristal acetate in fibroid patients'". The second tweet, sent on 22 November 2012, read "Places available at the Nottingham symposium on uterine fibroids."
PMCPA deemed that only one of these tweets violated the ABPI Code of Practice. Can you guess which one?
The PMCPA concluded that the tweet of 9 November was promotional because it named a prescription only medicine (ulipristal acetate) and referred to a potential use (in fibroid patients). A breach of the Code was ruled because a prescription only medicine had been advertised to the public via the tweet.
This is interesting for several reasons.
Read more »