The use of actors to play medical professionals for the advertisement of medical products is now prohibited in Poland.
The bill on medical products was passed in April last year; however, some of the regulations only entered into force on Jan. 1, 2023.
According to the chairman of the Supreme Medical Council, Łukasz Jankowski, advertisements that portray a doctor are misleading. “It is a change in a very positive direction. You cannot mislead a patient and pretend to be a doctor who is recommending medical products,” said Jankowski.
Jankowski highlighted that using the credibility of a doctor for commercial purposes should not be allowed. “Just as it is not allowed to pretend to be a policeman and knock on someone’s door, it should not be allowed to pretend to be a doctor to prescribe medical products,” he added.
In accordance with the new regulations, the advertisement of a product directed at the public must be formulated in a manner comprehensible to the average consumer.
This also includes medical terminology and the citation of the results of scientific research directed at consumers in an advertisement.
According to the law, an advertisement also cannot include a direct exhortation to children to buy products or persuade their parents or other adults to buy advertised products for them.
