733 - Is it voluntary to get promotional materials approved and simply acts as a benefit to the product or is it this process mandatory?
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PAAB review is mandatory for industry generated opioids materials directed to or through healthcare professionals (e.g. advertising, risk management tools, patient information). It is voluntary for other healthcare professional and patient materials.
For all other drug advertising, PAAB preclearance is recommended by Health Canada and is supported by the major pharmaceutical industry trade associations. In fact, for some pharmaceutical trade associations, PAAB preclearance of advertising is a condition of membership.
If companies choose not to come to the PAAB and the PAAB receives complaints about their advertising or we find code infractions through our monitoring activities, the PAAB will ask Health Canada to intervene. The PAAB has increased its own proactive monitoring activities this year. Additionally, we collaborate with Health Canada’s new proactive monitoring initiatives.
The PAAB endeavours to make the unique Canadian healthcare product advertising self-regulation system work for all companies in the best interest of Canadian patients.
