New ABPI code provides more information for patients

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 public for prescription only medicines with marketing authorisations.

Reference information includes the regulatory information (summaries of product characteristics, package leaflets, and public assessment reports, where available), as well as registration studies, other studies, medicine guides information about diseases and specific medicines. Reference information must represent fairly the current body of evidence relating to a medicine and its profile of risks and benefits. Companies are not obliged to provide reference information but are advised that it is good practice to provide at least the regulatory information as a minimum. A guide to the code for the public will be produced after consultation with stakeholders as part of the review process.