New rules for health product telemarketing
Federal health authorities have issued new guidelines in order to keep a tab on communication centres that promote health products through telephonic contacts.
According to Dr Abdul Kareem Al Zarouni, Director of the Medical Advertisements Department in the Ministry of Health (MoH), these centres will no more be able to promote health products unless they are licensed by the authorities concerned.
There are many centres in the country that promote health products like children’s food for local and international companies via toll free numbers.
The owner has to abide by the Cabinet decree 7 of 2007, which empowers the ministry as the sole authority to licence health-related ads, he added.
“Operators working at these centres must be qualified enough to answer public enquiries in an objective and scientific way. Centres have to mention that their service is licensed by the MoH,” stressed Dr Zarouni.
He told Khaleej Times that it has become mandatory for the centre owner to keep records of the incoming and outgoing telephone calls so as to furnish them to the MoH in case of reported breaches.
Owners of communication centres have to provide to the MoH with a list of the products they wish to promote, he said, noting that infants’ (below six months) food is not allowed to be promoted as substitutes for breast-feeding.
Products recalled from the local market have to be deleted from the list, he added.
“These steps will guarantee the quality of the promoted products. Centres must also protect privacy of information they receive from the public and avoid using it as evidence for products quality,” said Dr Zarouni. He said that centres which comply with the mentioned conditions, will get a one-year renewable licence by the MoH. “If the authorities concerned decide to revoke the licence of the centre for whatever reasons, the MoH’s licence will be immediately nullified,” he clarified. Source
According to Dr Abdul Kareem Al Zarouni, Director of the Medical Advertisements Department in the Ministry of Health (MoH), these centres will no more be able to promote health products unless they are licensed by the authorities concerned.
There are many centres in the country that promote health products like children’s food for local and international companies via toll free numbers.
The owner has to abide by the Cabinet decree 7 of 2007, which empowers the ministry as the sole authority to licence health-related ads, he added.
“Operators working at these centres must be qualified enough to answer public enquiries in an objective and scientific way. Centres have to mention that their service is licensed by the MoH,” stressed Dr Zarouni.
He told Khaleej Times that it has become mandatory for the centre owner to keep records of the incoming and outgoing telephone calls so as to furnish them to the MoH in case of reported breaches.
Owners of communication centres have to provide to the MoH with a list of the products they wish to promote, he said, noting that infants’ (below six months) food is not allowed to be promoted as substitutes for breast-feeding.
Products recalled from the local market have to be deleted from the list, he added.
“These steps will guarantee the quality of the promoted products. Centres must also protect privacy of information they receive from the public and avoid using it as evidence for products quality,” said Dr Zarouni. He said that centres which comply with the mentioned conditions, will get a one-year renewable licence by the MoH. “If the authorities concerned decide to revoke the licence of the centre for whatever reasons, the MoH’s licence will be immediately nullified,” he clarified. Source
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