A major backlog has developed in handling complaints over drug companies’ marketing practices in the UK. Hristio Boytchev , Shai Mulinari , and Piotr Ozieranski report
Processing times for complaints against drug companies suspected of having breached the UK industry’s code of practice governing the promotion of pharmaceuticals have more than tripled in nearly two decades, an investigation by The BMJ has found. Delays mean that any problematic practices highlighted in complaints can continue for an average of eight months—and in many cases for more than a year.
To tackle the backlog, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has now raised the fees charged to companies in relation to these complaints by more than 40%.
Complaints against ABPI members and non-members that have ratified the ABPI’s code of practice are dealt with by the arm’s length body the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA). In the most severe cases the ABPI can suspend members. For example, the Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk is currently suspended from the ABPI until 2025 for sponsoring weight loss programmes that promoted its products.
The BMJ ’s analysis of PMCPA data shows that the average processing time of a complaint more than tripled between 2004 and 2021, sending the time for an average complaint to be resolved from less than three months (11.8 weeks) to more than 8.5 months (38.4 weeks).
For cases that were subject to appeal, the duration more than doubled from under five months (20.4 weeks) to …