A clutch of drugs companies has been found in breach of the trade body’s code of practice, and Bayer Schering Pharma has also been publicly reprimanded by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) for failing to provide sufficient information to the Authority.

Chiesi, Eli Lilly, and Bayer Healthcare have also all been found to be in breach of clause 2 of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Code, which relates to discrediting and reducing confidence in the pharmaceutical industry.

In accordance with it its constitution the PMCPA must advertise 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.

In the case of Bayer Schering Pharma, the company failed to include prescribing information (clause 4.1) in a prescribing policy document on vardenafil (Levitra) that was described as being “supported by an educational grant.”

The company was reported to the Code of Practice Appeal Board. During its consideration of the matter, the Appeal Board learnt that the material had been circulated more widely than previously indicated. Bayer was publicly reprimanded by the Appeal Board for failing to provide comprehensive information to the Authority.

Chiesi had provided a clinical support service that it knew GPs were being encouraged locally to use to switch treatments. It was ruled to be in breach of several other clauses of the code, including failing to maintain high standards (clause 9.1) and to provide a genuine therapeutic review that included a comprehensive range of relevant treatment choices (clause 18.1).

Eli Lilly also breached clauses 9.1, 15.2 and 19.1 of the code by providing inappropriate hospitality to two health professionals, while Bayer Healthcare breached clauses 3.2, 7.2 and 7.9.

It had issued an advertisement about Yasmin which underplayed the side effects of the medicine and which was judged to be misleading and inconsistent with the summary of product characteristics.

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