The British Pharmaceutical Industry

The UK-based pharmaceutical industry provides a substantial contribution to the UK economy. It is one of the most successful sectors in Britain, researching, developing and manufacturing medicines for the National Health Service and for millions of patients throughout the world.

The UK-based pharmaceutical industry employs around 75,000 people, a quarter of them graduates, with another 250,000 people employed in related companies.

The industry ploughs back more than 20% of its turnover into R&D for new medicines (at a rate of more than £6 million a day), compared with a UK all-industry average of 2-3%. More than 70% of UK medicines research is funded by the pharmaceutical industry.Before patients can benefit from the steady stream of modern medicines flowing from the pharmaceutical industry, an important part of the fast moving process of innovation is to keep doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals up to date with the work going on in clinical research and to inform them about the availability of new medicines.

There are three categories of licensed medicines in the UK:-

• Prescription-only medicines - available only through a doctor's prescription.
• Pharmacy sale medicines - available only through a pharmacy.
• General sales medicines - available in high street shops, etc.

The position of a medicine in one of these categories is determined by Health Ministers on the advice of the Medicines Control Agency, the Committee on the Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission, taking into consideration the product's possible use, any side effects and the risk of its misuse.

Prescription-only medicines and certain pharmacy sales medicines may not be promoted to the general public. It is a key responsibility for the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that the medical profession is fully informed about its products, their advantages and side effects, and to promote their proper use. Providing information through marketing medicines is therefore an inherent and essential element of successful innovation.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

The ABPI has its own code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry, which has been operating for nearly 40 years. It is drawn up in accordance with UK law and in consultation with the British Medical Association, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the Medicines Control Agency.

The Code reflects the legal requirements controlling the advertising and promotion of medicines and extends well beyond them.

Under a formal agreement between the pharmaceutical industry and the Government, companies are limited to spending up to around 9 per cent of their turnover on promotional activities - mainly medical sales representatives, medical press, advertising and literature.

Surveys among GPs reveal that pharmaceutical company representatives are regarded as one of the most valuable sources of information about the treatments available. A typical medical representative is a nurse or a science graduate and will have access to considerable detail about the company's products. Around 50 entirely new products are licensed for prescribing each year and their therapeutic effects need to be explained fully to prescribers.

Medical representatives are a convenient and helpful way for doctors to get rapid and accurate information about medicines.

[ We extend out thanks to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry for the above information. ]