Скачать или смотреть Hashtags, Product Names and the ABPI Code: Where Promotion Begins

I recently shared a poll asking whether using a product name alongside a conference hashtag could be considered promotional under the ABPI Code. The majority of you - 76% - believed it could. And you were correct.

This issue was highlighted in a case involving Menarini (Case AUTH/3853/11/23). An event organiser posted a panoramic photo of an exhibition hall on their personal social media, using a conference-specific hashtag. Although no drugs were mentioned in the caption, a product name was visible in the image. A patient saw the post and filed a complaint, arguing it promoted a prescription-only medicine to the public.

The PMCPA panel agreed, noting that the combination of the visible product name and the disease-specific conference hashtag amounted to promotion. Since pharmaceutical companies are responsible for the actions of their agents, Menarini was found in breach of the Code.

​This case underscores the importance of considering how social media posts, even those made by third parties, can have compliance implications. It also raises questions about the use of conference hashtags and the visibility of product names in shared images.

#PMCPA #ABPICodeofPractice #pharmaceuticalCompliance #pharmaceuticalPromotion #hashtag