Ad description
Two Facebook posts for ANP Medical Aesthetics:
a. The first ad, posted 2 August 2022, included the caption “Steroid Joint Injections […] Medical assessment conducted before all my treatments”. The post included an image of an injection being administered into someone’s knee and text that included “Steroid Joint Injections”.
b. The second ad, posted 3 August 2022, included the caption “Steroid Joint Injections [syringe emoji, leg emoji, flexed bicep emoji, bone emoji] These are Hydrocortisone injections…… Used to treat swollen or painful joints, such as after an injury or if you have arthritis. The hydrocortisone is injected directly into the painful joint […] The joints most often injected are the shoulder, elbow, knee, hand, wrist or hip. Hydrocortisone injections are also used to treat painful tendons and bursitis (when a small bag of fluid which cushions a joint gets inflamed). They’re sometimes used to treat muscle pain when it’s in a particular area. All my treatments include a full medical assessment”. The post included an image of an injection being administered into someone’s knee.
Issue
The complainant challenged whether the ads breached the Code because they advertised prescription-only medicines to the public.
Response
ANP Medical Aesthetics said they were aware that the promotion of prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public was not allowed. They said that they mistakenly assumed that “hydrocortisone” was a more generic term rather than being a reference to a specific POM.
They apologised for their mistake and said that they had removed the two ads.
Assessment
Upheld
The CAP Code stated that prescription-only medicines or prescription-only medical treatments may not be advertised to the public.
The ASA understood that hydrocortisone injections were a prescription-only medicine and that hydrocortisone was a type of steroid.
Ads (a) and (b) were visible to anyone visiting ANP Medical Aesthetics’ Facebook page. Both ads stated “Steroid Joint Injections” and we considered that these were indirect references to hydrocortisone injections. Ad (b) also stated “Hydrocortisone injections”. We therefore considered that the ads promoted prescription-only medicines to the general public.
Whilst we welcomed ANP Medical Aesthetics’ willingness to remove the posts, we concluded that the ads breached the Code.
Ads (a) and (b) breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 12.12 12.12 Prescription-only medicines or prescription-only medical treatments may not be advertised to the public. (Medicines, medical devices, health-related products and beauty products).
Action
The ads must not appear again in the forms complained of. We told ANP Medical Aesthetics not to promote prescription-only medicines to the general public.
