Key Topic 3: Artwork, illustrations, graphs and tables
It is important to consider whether any artwork used might mislead in any way.
In the same way as for written claims, artwork can mislead by distortion, omission or exaggeration.
In terms of artwork you need to consider the context of the piece and the impression created.
For example images of children should not be used for products not authorized in children.
Think about the positioning of statements and artwork – placing items together can suggest that they are linked in some way.
Consider these examples
Duaklir visual
Take a look at the following slide which is part of a promotional slide set for AstraZeneca’s product Duaklir:
Assuming the figures are correct, which of the following do you agree with?
- This slide presents the data in a potentially misleading way
- More information is needed on the slide for it to be approvable
- The data are presented clearly and p values are given so this slide is approvable
- The claims are substantiated by the figures in the table so this is not misleading
Answer
This slide is potentially misleading because it only shows relative reductions in symptom scores and gives no absolute values. If you were constructing this visual it would be wise to include the absolute values and an explanation of the symptom score used.
Without knowing the nature of the scale used and the absolute values, the percentages can give the impression that the magnitude of change is bigger than it actually is.
Relative and absolute values
Take a look at this advert for the fictional product 'Lipidlow' – the 50% relative risk reduction in large text actually refers to an absolute reduction of 1%. Would you expect this advert to be approved? Think about ‘undue emphasis’.
Imagery
Take a look at the following imagery (this case is fictitious):
Now imagine that you have been tasked with finding suitable campaign imagery for the product Protopic (tacrolimus ointment), used for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Your brief is to show a patient whose atopic dermatitis is under control and hence she can enjoy life again.
Take a look at the SmPC for this product and then decide whether you would use this imagery in advertisements for Protopic:
The SmPC for Protopic includes a special warning about exposure to sunlight. This picture shows a woman in sunlight without any kind of protection (e.g sun hat, sun glasses, or even clothing to protect the skin). Whilst it could be argued that she could be wearing a sun protection cream, this is not evident from the picture. The imagery could give the misleading impression that exposure to sunlight is not an issue with this product.
This was the subject of a complaint in the UK (although not with this particular imagery).
