December 2021 summary report of Viagra by PharmacyOnline.co.uk
Published 21 January 2022
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December 2021 Promotion of Viagra by PharmacyOnline.co.uk
MHRA received a complaint from a member of the public concerning advertising of Viagra which was seen as the number plate VI4GRA of a car displaying branding for PharmacyOnline.co.uk and claims related to the use of this product. The complainant questioned whether this was an advertisement for a prescription only medicine. Regulation 284 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 prohibits the issue to the general public of an advertisement for a prescription only medicine (POM) which is likely to lead to its use.
MHRA upheld the complaint since the combination of the number plate, the source of supply and the product claims was likely to be seen as promotion of a POM to the general public. In their response, Vishyus Pharma Ltd (who trade as PharmacyOnline.co.uk) stated that they were intending to promote Viagra Connect, which is an over-the-counter (OTC) product and could therefore be promoted to the public. They confirmed that they would make clear that the car advertisement refers to Viagra Connect and will include the statutory requirements for advertising a specific OTC product as set out in regulation 291 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and annex 3 of the MHRA Blue Guide on the Advertising and Promotion of Medicines in the UK.