Pharmaceutical companies challenge CNA decisions

The decision of the National Audio-visual Council (CNA) to restrict advertising for over-the-counter (non-prescription) drugs comes with much harsher provisions than required by the European legislation in this field, which CNA uses as justification. This is what the representatives of the leading pharmaceutical companies on the Romanian market, GlaxoSmithKline and Sicomed Bucharest are saying.
They also say that, because of the decision, certain National Drug Agency (NDA) and CNA responsibilities are actually overlapping, while restrictions will severely limit the informative role played by the commercials.
“We have already got an authority in charge of the advertising for medical products and this is the National Drug Agency, which is already enforcing norms in line with the European legislation. Therefore, we see no reason why there should be a second institution for the same position,” says Roberto Musneci general manager of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Romania, the leader of the domestic market (11.5% market share).
Musneci specified NDA’s role in controlling advertising had already been clearly set by Article 7 in Law 148/2000, which stipulates advertising for drugs is allowed only for OTCs and every advertising material has to be endorsed by the NDA first.
GSK holds 65% in domestic Europharm Brasov drugmaker, one of the top players on the vitamin segment.
Promoting vitamins and nutritional supplements is actually the most restricted advertising type by the CNA.
The decision therefore prohibits promotion of vitamins or nutritional supplements by VIPs (sports starts, TV or radio stars etc.) or doctors. Such advertising may not target children below the age of 16 or be run before, during and after kids shows.
The CNA decision also forbids any OTC commercial to mention the health benefits the consumers might derive from using the drug in question.
Ralu Filip, CNA chairman says the decision completes NDA’s norms and that the rules imposed are no different from those in the EU.