This week I attended a fascinating seminar developed by the Medical Technology Association of Australia that discussed changes to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Advertising code. (The date for the implementation is January 2019).
The changes will have significant impacts for any marketers that work in the medical devices/healthcare sector.
Notable is:
TGA stated that ads that cite scientific or clinical literature must identify the researcher and financial sponsor of the study “where the advertiser knows, or ought reasonably to have known, that information.” The ad must also provide enough information about the study for consumers to be able to access the research.
TGA also made changes to its position on the use of endorsements and testimonials. TGA will still permit the use of testimonials in the advertisement of therapeutic goods but only if the company discloses “whether the organization, or employee, has received, or will receive, any valuable consideration for the endorsement.”
The Australian regulatory agency published a summary of the changes to the code alongside version 1.2 of its accompanying advertising guidance document.
During the seminar, there were many questions in the room indicating there is still work to be done conveying the meaning of those changes. The MTAA are going to be developing another seminar in early 2019 to look at the code in further detail but for, now marketers need to get across the changes and how it will impact their upcoming marketing initiatives.
Keen to know more about the code and how it will affect your marketing initiatives in 2019? Digital Democracy can assist you. We have worked with clients such as MTAA, Fuji Sonosite, Merck and others. Contact us 0423 073 099