AUTH/1909/11/06: Medical Representative v AstraZeneca (Arrangements for meetings) – No breach | PMCPA Case

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Key facts

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Case number	AUTH/1909/11/06
Complainant	Medical representative from an unnamed company
Company	AstraZeneca UK Limited
Issue	Arrangements for meetings (alleged public visibility of materials at a sports club meeting; alleged surgery meetings were fund-raising with no educational content)
Clauses considered	Clauses 2, 9.1, 19.1 and 20.1
Decision	No breach
Complaint received	3 November 2006
Case completed	30 November 2006
Appeal	No appeal
Applicable Code year	2006
Published	February 2007 Code of Practice Review

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Reviewed by Dr Anzal Qurbain (FFPM) — ABPI Final Signatory

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What happened

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A medical representative from an unnamed company complained about AstraZeneca UK Limited’s arrangements for meetings.
The complaint focused on a dermatology meeting at a sports club said to have taken place in October, alleging the meeting room had glass panels so the public could see exhibition stands and parts of the slide presentation from the bar/restaurant area.
The complainant also alleged at least eight meetings at local surgeries, credited as educational events, were actually a means of raising funds with no educational content.
AstraZeneca said the sports club meeting did not take place on the alleged October date; it was postponed and held in November (after the complaint was received).
AstraZeneca described the venue as a private tennis club with a private room separated from public areas by half-height plasterboard and half-height smoked glass; it said it was not possible to see clearly into the meeting room from the public area.
AstraZeneca stated it conducted a site visit in November (after receiving the complaint) and said additional screens would be used by the glass doors to prevent inadvertent viewing of slides when doors opened; it said these screens were in place for the November meeting.
For the surgery meetings, AstraZeneca provided database data showing 10 meetings in July–September 2006 were promotional meetings run by representatives within the relevant product licence; it said subsistence was within policy limits and no speaker or room-hire payments were made.

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Outcome

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No breach of the Code was ruled.
Sports club meeting: the Panel found no evidence that, when the meeting was held, members of the public could see exhibition stands or the slide presentation as alleged.
Surgery meetings: the Panel found no evidence the meetings were a means of raising funds with no educational content; subsistence appeared not unacceptable and no room hire had been paid.
The Panel noted concern that the representative appeared not to have visited the venue to assess suitability until after receipt of the complaint, but this did not lead to a breach finding.

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AUTH/1909/11/06: Medical Representative v AstraZeneca (Arrangements for meetings) – No breach

Key facts

What happened

Outcome

Clauses

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