EU Commission's proposal slated
Overwhelming response by interested groups and concerned citizens

In the consultation published on 5 February 2008 the Commission proposed legal changes that would allow pharmaceutical companies to communicate directly to the public about prescription medicines. Hence, the Commission (through DG Enterprise and Industry) seems keen to maintain its project to deregulate direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies.

However, the reactions from public health related groups, patients, consumers, healthcare professionals and interested experts to the most recent EU Commission proposal have been overwhelmingly critical.

Read the responses below:  

1. HAI Europe response
2. Open letter to the Commissioners by HAI Europe, International Society of Drug Bulletins, Medicines in Europe Forum and the International Association of Mutualities
   - English Version
   - French Version
3. Joint letter to the Members of the European Parliament by HAI Europe, International Society of Drug Bulletins, Medicines in Europe Forum and the International Association of Mutualities
   - English Version
   - French Version
4. Social Audit
5. European Public Health Alliance
6. European Consumer Consultative Group
7. Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union
8. Letter to the MEPs by the European Consumers' Organisation
9. Response by European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC)
10. British Medical Association
11. International Association of Mutualities

Direct-to-consumer advertising revisited by European commission, “Déjà-vu all over again”?

The proposal to weaken the EU’s ban on advertising prescription-only medicines to the public was overwhelmingly rejected by the European Parliament in 2004. Yet, only two years later the European Commission “openly regrets” this decision and calls for a reform of the European pharmaceutical products’ legislation. HAI Europe deplores this move to reopen the direct-to-consumer advertising debate.

For more information, please read the 2006 press release or for more recent statements see below

Open letters to the European Commission

• December 2007 - Pharmaceutical companies' direct to consumer communication: No Thanks!
  - Open letter by ISDB, MiEF, AIM and HAI
• October 2007 - Future of pharmaceuticals
  - Open letter by ISDB, MiEF and HAI
• June 2007 – Draft report on current practices on information provision
• [Open letter to Commissioners Verheugen and Kyprianou by ISDB, MIEF, AIM and HAI]
• [Many concerns; a joint Open letter with extracts from some contributions to the Consultation and other reactions related to this draft report]

• February 2008- Response to the Pharmacovigilance Consultation by DG Enterprise
  • En
  • Fr
• January 2008 -Response to Future Challenges Consultation DG SANCO
• October 2007 - Response to Consultation on the Future of Pharmaceuticals
• September 2007- Response to Consultation on the Review of the Variations Regulations
  
• Juni 2007 - Response to the Consultation on the Draft report on current practices with regard to the provision of information to patients on medicinal products

  The EU Commission’s draft report’s review of sources of patient information on drugs and other treatments is so incomplete that it casts doubts on the Commission’s willingness to address the issues raised by the article 88a, namely the provision of information and its risk and benefits for patients.
  Consequently, the report’s conclusions are exclusively biased in favour of allowing drug companies to communicate directly with the public, further undermining the Commission’s credibility to consider public health needs above commercial interests.