Promotion of a medicinal product to the public by YM Pharma Group Ltd: April 2025
Published 14 May 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advertising-investigations-april-2025/promotion-of-a-medicinal-product-to-the-public-by-ym-pharma-group-ltd-april-2025
YM Pharma Group Ltd (trading as YourMedicals.co.uk) has amended its marketing practices following MHRA action to ensure that samples of medicinal products are not supplied to the public for promotional purposes.
MHRA was made aware of information which suggested that an Influencer Outreach Manager on behalf of YourMedicals had offered (a) member(s) of the public 1 month’s free supply of a medicinal product as an incentive to join an affiliate programme to share content for the business.
MHRA was concerned about the offer to the public to receive a medicinal product for free as an incentive. Regulation 293 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 prohibits the sale or supply of samples of medicinal products to the public for promotional purposes. The distribution of vouchers for free products to potential consumers to enable them to obtain a pack for free or for an unreasonably low sum is considered to fall within this prohibition. Further information is given in section 5.9 of the MHRA Blue Guide.
YM Pharma Group Ltd informed the MHRA that they had taken immediate action to instruct the third-party marketing agency with whom they were working on the affiliate programme to withdraw and suspend all promotional activity related to the incentive. The company also said they were doing an internal audit of all promotional materials and affiliate relationships to ensure compliance with the Regulations going forward. Staff and affiliate partners were also being briefed again on the rules relating to the advertising and promotion of medicinal products.
The MHRA would encourage all treatment service providers to review their marketing practices and their commercial relationships with third parties as required to ensure all parties comply with the advertising Regulations.
This summary relates to specific advertising action taken on a particular date and is no endorsement of the ongoing practices of the website.
You can see details of MHRA guidance for providers that offer medicinal treatment services in the MHRA Blue Guide, including Appendix 6.