Changes In Regulation Of The Promotion Of Medicines

The first quarter of 2009 saw considerable change in the

regulation on the promotion of medicines. Changes included

modifications to Act XCVIII of 2006 on the General Provisions

Relating to the Reliable and Economically Feasible Supply of

Medicinal Products and Medical Aids and on the Distribution of

Medicinal Products (the Medicine Promotion Act). New rules on the

detailed regulation of the promotion of medicines also came into

force from the Health Ministry in the shape of regulation no.

3/2009, which supersedes Health Ministry Regulation no. 11/2007.

The changes were triggered by the advertising law reform in

September 2008 (consisting of the amendment of the Competition Act

and of the Consumer Protection Act and the entering into force of

the new Advertising Act and Unfair Commercial Practices Act). The

terminology of the provisions on medicine advertisements and

detailing has therefore been brought in line with the general legal

provisions of advertising. The modification affected the definition

of detailing, the administrative and payment obligations of the

detailing companies, and the rules on liability.

The former notion of...