The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) was established by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) on 1 January, 1993 to operate the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry at arm's length from the ABPI itself.

The Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry 2006
The Code of Practice has been regularly revised since its inception in 1958 and is drawn up in consultation with the British Medical Association, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Compliance with the Code is obligatory for ABPI member companies and, in addition, around sixty non-member companies have voluntarily agreed to comply with the Code and to accept the jurisdiction of the Authority.

The Code covers the promotion of medicines for prescribing to health professionals and administrative staff and also covers information made available to the general public about prescription only medicines. The Code also applies to a number of areas which are non-promotional. It does not apply to the promotion of over-the-counter medicines to the general public. Nor does it cover the promotion of over-the-counter medicines to health professionals when the object is to encourage purchase by the general public.

The aim of the Code is to ensure that the promotion of medicines to health professionals and to administrative staff is carried out within a robust framework to support high quality patient care. The Code also sets standards relating to the provision of information about prescription only medicines to patients and the public as well as relationships within patient groups.

The Code reflects and extends beyond the legal requirements controlling the advertising of medicines.

Complaints
The Constitution and Procedure for the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, which is included in the Code of Practice booklet, provides details of the complaints procedure.

Complaints submitted under the Code are considered in the first instance by the Code of Practice Panel which consists of the Director, Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Authority, acting with the assistance of independent expert advisers where appropriate. Both the complainant and the respondent company may appeal to the Code of Practice Appeal Board against rulings made by the Panel. The Code of Practice Appeal Board is chaired by an independent legally qualified chairman and includes independent members from outside the industry. Details of its composition can be found in the Constitution and Procedure.

A leaflet on the role of the PMCPA, the complaints procedure and the charges associated with complaints has also been published.

Companies can be publicly reprimanded and/or required to issue a Corrective statement as sanctions under the Code.

Advertisements to communicate Clause 2 breaches for activities or materials associated with promotion which have brought discredit upon, or reduced confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry are placed in the medical and pharmaceutical press.

Further Information
Information on the status of ongoing cases is available, as are reports on completed cases. Comments on matters of current concern are published quarterly in the Code of Practice Review.

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority publishes an annual report which includes details of the work of the Authority, the Code of Practice Panel and the Appeal Board.

Guidance has been published to assist the complainant and the respondent company when lodging an appeal or responding to one.

The Authority has issued Guidance notes for health professionals and others to assist in understanding the Code and its operation.

Seminars designed to explain the requirements of the Code of Practice are held by the Authority on a regular basis and are open to all.

A Memorandum of Understanding setting out the arrangements for the regulation of the promotion of medicines for prescribing has been agreed between the Authority, the ABPI and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MRHA administers UK law on behalf of the Health Ministers.

The Authority and the ABPI has issued advice on written agreements with patient groups.

The Authority also issues press releases about ongoing news.

All publications are available from:
Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority
12 Whitehall
London SW1A 2DY
Tel: +44 (0)20 7930 9677
Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 4554