The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) have issued a joint enforcement notice about
the 'illegal' advertising of Kenalog injections on digital platforms.
The notice warns all organisations offering Kenalog as a 'hay fever treatment' to stop advertising it in any of their social media or website advertising.
"Kenalog is a prescription-only medicine (POM), which must not be directly or indirectly advertised to the public. Kenalog is not licensed for the treatment of hay
fever in the UK, although it is offered by some beauty and aesthetics clinics, under the personal responsibility of an individual prescriber, and advertised widely
on social media," said MHRA.
"Now, advertisers must ensure that all references to Kenalog in the text, images or emojis on social media are removed, as well as commonly-used descriptive phrases
for the jab such as 'hay fever injection' or hay fever jab' or any account names, testimonials or memes by 29 August 2022."
After this date, the CAP's compliance team will remove non-compliant ads using targeted software and those who continue to promote it may be referred to the MHRA for
further enforcement action.
Following centuries of stigma, the importance of mental wellness is finally matching that of physical healthcare.
Conditions such as depression have become common topics in the media, particularly in the last few years as celebrities and experts warned against the pressures of
social media. The bouts of isolation connected with the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue, with the British Medical Association declaring a UK mental health
crisis at the end of 2022.
This media attention has led to acknowledgement of the realities of mental health problems from the government and medical sector, and a recognition that these
need to be approached differently to physical ailments when it comes to providing treatment.
If you are motivated to be involved in this rapidly changing industry, consider these rewarding business ideas for developing a career in mental health.
Become a counsellor
Counselling is a broad term, but essentially it is the practice of having impartial conversation with patients about their life experiences with a view to overcoming
emotional obstacles and trauma. Training can take three to five years depending on whether you are getting a degree or diploma, and there are many opportunities to
specialise both during and after your education.
Psychotherapy is a similar field, but this is a more academically focused course that tends to be concerned with long-term or particularly complex mental health
issues. You will need a post-graduate qualification and several years of training to become certified.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has cautioned against buying weight-loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons,
unregistered pharmacy websites or social media platforms as such products could pose "serious health risks."
Consumers are reminded that the only safe way to obtain genuine weight-loss medication is through a legitimate pharmacy, including licensed online pharmacies,
with a prescription from a qualified healthcare professional.
To combat the illegal sale of these medicines, the MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit is working closely with social media platforms, technology companies, the
police and Border Force.
Andy Morling, MHRA deputy director of Criminal Enforcement, highlighted the dangers of purchasing these medications from unverified sources:
"At this time of year, with many of us thinking about shedding a little excess weight, we see people offering weight loss medicines for sale as a quick fix,
without a healthcare professional's prescription, from beauty salons, websites and on social media.
"These are not cosmetic treatments; they are powerful medicines that can only be legally and safely dispensed against a prescription issued by a healthcare
professional."
It has, therefore, become very important for all types of businesses in all the sectors to leverage the technique of social media marketing to attract the millennials and genzers. This will not only increase the sales but help you build a chain of loyal customers.
In an announcement following Keir Starmer's and Wes Streeting's visit to a hospital in the East Midlands, Labour Party has unveiled a groundbreaking
partnership with Virgin Media O2 aimed at ensuring every child with type 1 diabetes can access the latest medical technology to better manage diabetes.
With the NHS providing patients with type 1 diabetes the option of an 'artificial pancreas' in the next five years to manage insulin levels and Continuous
Glucose Monitors launched nearly 2 years ago to monitor children's glucose levels, the initiative aims to address the financial barrier hindering hundreds of
families from benefiting from this breakthrough.
Labour's plan to provide every child in need a smartphone, facilitating access to modern glucose monitors, aligns with the centre-leftist party's broader vision
to harness technology for healthcare transformation.
Announcing the partnership in an interview with ITV News, Keir Starmer, Labour Party Leader, highlighted the lack of equitable access to medical advancement
amongst patients as "travesty" and "impact of fourteen years of Conservative chaos has had on the NHS", stating:
The Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) has raised concerns about inaccuracies in media reports regarding a campaign launched by the National Pharmacy
Association (NPA) to ballot members in protest over funding issues.
The PDA clarified that only trade unions, like the PDA Union, can conduct ballots for industrial action.
Therefore, it argued that the NPA's action should not be "inaccurately described as a strike or industrial or collective action."
The PDA further explained that NPA's proposed ballot pertains to a contractual dispute between businesses operating community pharmacies and the NHS commissioners
in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Additionally, the PDA noted that the NPA is not conducting a ballot for its members in Scotland.
While some reports have stated that 'pharmacists' are being balloted for the first time to take collective action, the PDA pointed out that many NPA members are,
in fact, business owners and investors, not pharmacists.
Social media in the setting of a private social network for healthcare is a huge opportunity for improving the collaboration between doctors, patients and pharmaceutical companies. Pharmas don't do social media but they are world champs in sales and marketing; if you look at the balance sheet of one of the top 10 innovative pharmas, you will see that over 50% of expenses are for sales and marketing; more than R&D.