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AgVetLink February 2005

Advertising and promoting prescription animal remedies

After further discussion with interested and affected parties, the ACVM Group has amended its standard for prescription animal remedies in regard to advertising and promoting such products to end users.

Direct toward veterinarians

Advertising or promotion activities (i.e. activities that encourage the sale of a particular trade name product) for PAR veterinary medicines should be directed toward veterinarians who can legitimately prescribe the products. Advertisers should provide accurate and technically supportable information about the products to allow prescribing veterinarians to make informed judgements regarding their use.

Approved traders

An approved trader may advertise the types of PAR veterinary medicines they stock. PAR products must not be displayed in public view, prompting the interest of purchasers.

Technical information

It is appropriate for traders to provide technical information on products and to foster awareness and understanding of disease conditions or health and production management options. (Such information transfer is not considered advertising in this context.) In doing this it is reasonable to identify themselves with the information and to inform that they market a product or products that could be used to treat a particular disease condition or contribute to the management of health or production.

Role of veterinarian

A trader may advertise or promote (including offering purchasing incentives) PAR products to end users where advertising or promotion is not likely to jeopardise the risk management role of the prescribing veterinarian. For example, advertising would be acceptable if the veterinarian’s risk management involvement is in relation to how or when a PAR product should be used (e.g. oestrus synchrony products) rather than deciding if a particular product should be used (e.g. disease treatment products).

In all cases, the person must emphasise that end users should discuss treatment options with their veterinarian. This distinction will require discretionary judgement from the person based on the type of product. If in doubt, the ACVM Group will offer its opinion.

Prohibition

For trade name PAR products that must not be advertised to end users (e.g. antibiotic products and anabolic steroids), the ACVM Group will expressly state that prohibition in a condition on the registration.

This means that there is no discretionary judgement to be made. The products must not be advertised or promoted, and no purchase incentives may be offered.