Gedeon Richter (UK) Ltd has breached the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry and brought discredit upon,

​Gedeon Richter (UK) Ltd has breached the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry and brought discredit upon, and reduced confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.

Press Release 06 September 2013

The full case reports were published in the PMCPA August Code of Practice Review and are also available at www.pmcpa.org.uk.

Case AUTH/2575/2/13

For sending an uncertified meeting invitation and providing excessive hospitality at that meeting, and for issuing another meeting invitation which promoted an unlicensed medicine, Gedeon Richter was ruled in breach of the following clauses of the Code:

Clause 2 - Bringing discredit upon, and reducing confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.
Clause 3.1 - Promoting a medicine prior to the grant of a marketing authorization.
Clause 9.1 - Failing to maintain high standards.
Clause 14.2 - Failing to certify promotional material before issue.
Clause 19.1 - Providing excessive hospitality.

Case AUTH/2601/5/13

For failing to comply with an undertaking by continuing to use promotional meeting invitations that did not include relevant prescribing information, Gedeon Richter was ruled in breach of the following clauses of the Code:

Clause 2 - Bringing discredit upon, and reducing confidence in, the
pharmaceutical industry.
Clause 9.1 - Failing to maintain high standards.
Clause 25 - Failing to comply with an undertaking.

Under provisions in its Constitution and Procedure, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) advertises brief details of all cases where companies are ruled in breach of Clause 2 of the Code, are required to issue a corrective statement or are the subject of a public reprimand.

The advertisements will appear in the BMJ and The Pharmaceutical Journal on September 7, 2013 and The Nursing Standard on September 11, 2013.

Notes to Editors:

For more information please contact: Heather Simmonds, 020 7747 1438, mobile 07889 633907.

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA; www.pmcpa.org.uk) 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 and other information, including details about ongoing cases and completed cases, is available at www.pmcpa.org.uk.

Complaints submitted under the Code are considered in the first instance by the Code of Practice Panel which consists of three of the following, the Director, Deputy Director, Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Authority. One member of the Authority acts as the case preparation manager for a particular case and does not participate when the Panel considers that case. Both the complainant and the respondent company may appeal to the Code of Practice Appeal Board against rulings made by the Panel.

The Appeal Board is chaired by an independent legally qualified chairman. For the consideration of any case, independent members from outside the industry, including the Chairman, must be in a majority. Details of the Appeal Board’s composition can be found on our website.