Lloyds Pharma prematurely ejected

Lloyds Pharmacy has been given a stiff rebuke following complaints that it tried to hoodwink consumers into believing they could easily buy cures for male “issues” – including premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction – online.
The issue was sparked by a complaint from rival Pharmacy2U, following a poster campaign first devised by the now defunct TDA nearly four years ago.
The ad featured three men standing naked and covering their “privates” with cowboy hats. Two were shown to be holding the hats in place with their hands, the third man had his hands behind his back. Text stated “Guess who’s used our Online Doctor? Get treatment for Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation. Discreet online service at affordable prices.”
Pharmacy2U objected to word “treatment” and challenged whether the ad promoted prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public. Meanwhile, the ASA conducted a separate investigation of its own to judge whether the website www.lloydspharmacy.com/hat advertised POMs to the general public.
While the watchdog rejected Pharmacy2U’s complaints, saying it was clear that the poster promoted an online doctor service, its own investigation found that Lloyds Pharmacy’s website promoted prescription only medicines in an unclear manner.
Forcing the firm to revamp its website, the ASA said: “After selecting a POM, consumers were required to go through the GP consultation prior to purchase in order to assess suitability. We considered that the web page therefore presented the POMs as a choice for the consumer to select prior to GP consultation, as opposed to the potential outcome of that consultation and subsequently advertised POMs to the public.”

1 Comment on "Lloyds Pharma prematurely ejected"