Decision

December 2017: Overseas Conferences Organised by UK Wholesalers in 2017

Published 22 February 2018

• SIGMA CONFERENCE IN RIO DE JANEIRO 12-17 FEBRUARY 2017
• AAH PHARMACUTICALS CONFERENCE IN KENYA 1-6 MARCH 2017
• NUMARK INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2017 IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA 4-11 MARCH 2017
• AVICENNA CONFERENCE IN VIETNAM 21-27 OCTOBER 2017

MHRA became aware of a number of overseas conferences organised by the UK pharmaceutical wholesalers Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Numark Limited and AAH Pharmaceuticals Limited. All the conferences included both scientific or professional meetings relating to pharmacy practice and a social programme. The time allotted to the business meetings at the conferences ranged from 1-2 days. Attendees included both healthcare professionals and guests and family members who were not healthcare professionals. They paid for their own travel, accommodation and meals.

Financial support to the events was provided by the wholesaler organising the conference and other sponsors including several companies involved in the manufacture, supply or sale of medicines.

MHRA was concerned that the financial support extended to parts of the social programme and was not strictly limited to healthcare professionals and to that required to support the scientific or business meetings as required by regulation 300(2) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

The companies did not accept MHRA’s view that the sponsorship of a conference for PQPS by a pharmaceutical company constituted a promotional activity under the terms of regulation 7 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and maintained that the conferences were not held for the purpose of the promotion of medicines. However, in order to reach agreement that the review could be concluded with no further action, they agreed to make changes to future events to ensure that hospitality is strictly limited to that required to support the scientific programme and is provided only to healthcare professionals.

Sigma, Numark and AAH provided assurances that any conferences similar to those that were the subject of the original investigation held in the future would meet the requirements of regulation 300 and in particular that the sponsored hospitality would be strictly limited to that necessary to support the business programme and to healthcare professionals only. Avicenna plc provided similar assurances in advance of its conference in October 2017.

MHRA advice

Advertising in relation to medicinal products includes anything designed to promote the prescription, supply, sale or use of such products and specifically includes the sponsorship of scientific congresses attended by persons qualified to prescribe or supply medicinal products.

Sponsorship of a scientific or professional conference for PQPS by companies involved in the manufacture, distribution or sale of medicines constitutes a promotional activity. Hospitality provided at such events must be strictly limited to the main purpose of the event and provided only to health care professionals.

The Human Medicines Regulations 2012 state that:

7.— (1) In these regulations “advertisement”, in relation to a medicinal product, includes anything designed to promote the prescription, supply, sale or use of that product.

(2) This includes, in particular, the following activities—

(a) … (e)

(f) the sponsorship of scientific congresses attended by persons qualified to prescribe or supply medicinal products, including the payment of their travelling and accommodation expenses in that connection.

300.—

(2) A person may not provide hospitality at a meeting or event held for the purpose of the promotion of a medicinal product unless–

(a) the hospitality is strictly limited to the main purposes of the meeting or event; and

(b) the person to whom it is provided or offered is a health care professional.

(4) A person qualified to prescribe or supply medicinal products may not solicit or accept any gift, pecuniary advantage, benefit or hospitality that is prohibited by this regulation.