Pulling your hair out over advertising your medicine? – A healthcare company has been investigated over advertising an over-the-counter hair regrowth medicine which provides a money-back guarantee.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) requested the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) to investigate a hair regrowth commercial which provides a money-back guarantee. Despite the company defending their position it was ruled that the overall impression of the advert indicated that the medicine had been clinically proven to work, in the event you didn’t see results in 180 days the consumer could request their money back. Providing an indirect assumption that the medicine was guaranteed to work. The company was informed they had breached the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP) and the commercial must be removed from circulation.
Do you advertise your medicines?
What are the rules and codes you must abide by?
Chapter 11 (https://www.asa.org.uk/static/846f25eb-f474-47c1-ab3ff571e3db5910/717b1f78-c8b3-4e5b-b49f337f16bd1cb0/BCAP-Code-full.pdf) of the BCAP code specifically covers medicines, medical devices, treatments and health with a separate chapter focusing on weight control and slimming products (Chapter 12).
And
The blue guide (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956846/BG_2020_Brexit_Final_version.pdf) produced by the MHRA
If you are advertising your products on a media platform of any kind ensure you do not fall foul of the rules, they will request you to remove your advert. The result you are left with advertising that you are unable to use and you the investment used to create the advert is wasted.
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