Ads for prescription drugs, banned

Romanian Broadcasting Code bans ads for prescription drugs, those being forbidden on Romanian TV or radio, Mediafax informs.

Broadcasters are allowed though to advertise medical practices, clinics and pharmacies, according to amendments to Romania’s broadcasting Code, adopted Tuesday by the National Audiovisual Council (CNA).

Adverts for medicine must include: the product’s name, its generic name (if it contains a single active substance), its therapeutic purpose and the warning “This is a drug. Read the prospectus carefully.” The warning must be spoken clearly, to ensure the accurate perception of the message.

The amendments to the Code forbid medical products or treatments, as well as food supplements, to be advertised bearing the endorsement of celebrities, medical personnel or pharmacists.

Advertising products or treatments for sexual issues is only permitted between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The new broadcasting Code will enter force once it is published in the Official Journal.