Pfizer ‘Ultimate Stop Smoking Roadshow’ invite: sponsorship clear, but ‘ultimate’ breached professional standing (AUTH/2931/1/17)

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Key facts

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Case number	AUTH/2931/1/17
Parties	Health professional consultant to a pharmaceutical company/Director v Pfizer
Material type	Online advertisement for a meeting; email invitations
Channel(s)	Pulse today.co.uk (online ad); email; registration website (referenced)
Event	“The ultimate stop smoking roadshow 2017” (3 events across the UK; meeting held January 2017)
Main issue(s)	Professional tone (“ultimate”); sponsorship declaration clarity; PI/AE statement expectations; alleged breach of prior undertaking
Applicable Code year	2016
Complaint received	16 January 2017
Case completed	27 June 2017
Appeal	No appeal
Breach	Clause(s) 9.2
No breach	Clause(s) 2, 4.1, 4.9, 7.10, 9.1, 29
Sanctions	Undertaking received

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

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A health professional (consultant to a pharmaceutical company) complained in a private capacity about Pfizer materials promoting a January 2017 meeting series (“The ultimate stop smoking roadshow 2017”).
Materials complained about: an online advertisement on Pulse today.co.uk and two email invitations (Dec 2016 and Jan 2017).
The complainant alleged: unclear editorial control/sponsorship; no link to prescribing information (PI) despite stating Pfizer medicines might be referenced; therefore no adverse event (AE) statement; and that “ultimate” was inappropriate language for an HCP audience.
The complainant also asked the PMCPA to review whether Pfizer had complied with an undertaking from a previous case (AUTH/2818/1/16) concerning disguised promotion/unclear sponsorship.
Pfizer stated its role was prominently declared (“This program is initiated and funded by Pfizer and may include reference to Pfizer medicines relevant to the agenda topics”), content was certified, and the invitations did not mention specific products so PI/AE statements were not required.

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No breach found for: Clause(s) 2, 4.1, 4.9, 7.10, 9.1, 29.
Breach found for: Clause(s) 9.2.
The Panel found Pfizer’s initiation/funding declaration was clear on the ad and emails.
The Panel found the invitations did not directly or indirectly promote a specific medicine; therefore PI and AE reporting statements were not required on the invitations.
The Panel ruled that describing the event as “the ultimate stop smoking roadshow” did not recognise the special nature of medicines and the professional standing of the audience.
The Panel did not consider Pfizer had failed to comply with its undertaking from AUTH/2818/1/16 (no breach of Clause 29).

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