Direct to consumer advertising

In the US, where it is an approved practice and controlled by legislation, we promote some of our prescription medicines directly to patients and the public. This is known as direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising and includes radio, television, newspaper, magazine and online channels. We believe that responsible DTC advertising can benefit public health in the US environment by increasing disease awareness, educating patients about treatment options, and encouraging people to discuss health concerns with their doctors. We comply with the regulations of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and follow the PhRMA (the US pharmaceutical industry trade association) Guiding Principles on DTC Advertisements about Prescription Medicines.

Do you advertise your products directly to consumers in other countries?

We only undertake DTC advertising in the US and New Zealand, where it is also permitted. DTC advertising is not legal in most other countries and we don’t advocate that this position should change.

In European countries, we are required by law to provide patient information leaflets in medicine packs and in some European countries, such as the UK, pharmaceutical companies are allowed to provide other non-promotional information on their prescription products directly to the public. This includes information on uses and side effects, and can help patients to use their medicine safely. We support proposals to increase the amount of non-promotional factual information available to patients in all countries in the European Union.

In countries where it is permitted by law, we also undertake disease awareness activities such as advertising campaigns and patient leaflets. These raise awareness of under-diagnosed diseases help people recognise symptoms and encourage them to consult their doctors for advice. These activities do not encourage people to ask for a specific medicine. In some countries we also provide support services for patients who have been prescribed our medicines. These provide advice to help people use our medicines safely and adopt lifestyle changes to improve their health.