Chiesi, Eli Lilly and Bayer breach ABPI code
Bayer Schering Pharma publicly reprimanded
Chiesi, Eli Lilly and Bayer Healthcare have each breached the ABPI Code of Practice in the UK and Bayer Schering Pharma has been publicly reprimanded.
To highlight these breaches and the public reprimand, the companies are the subject of advertisements in the medical, pharmaceutical and nursing press.
Bayer Schering Pharma was found to be in breach of the code for being involved in the generation and distribution of a prescribing policy document on vardenafil (Levitra) that was described as being ‘Supported by an educational grant’.
During its consideration of this matter, the Prescription Medicine Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), the body which regulates the ABPI Code of Practice, learned that the material was circulated more widely than previously indicated and for this Bayer was publicly reprimanded.
Bayer was also rapped for issuing an advertisement about Yasmin that underplayed the side effects of the oral contraceptive.
Chiesi was in breach of the Code for providing a clinical support service that it knew GPs were being encouraged locally to use to effect a switch programme. Eli Lilly was ruled in breach of the Code for providing inappropriate hospitality to two health professionals.
Corrective statements will appear in the BMJ and The Pharmaceutical Journal on 28 May and The Nursing Standard on 1 June.