Advisory regarding use of Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) in APS

RAMQ has informed PAAB that:

• All pieces including the copy “RAMQ” must acknowledge that this is the “Official Mark of the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec”. This acknowledgment may appear as a footnote on the same page. The acknowledgement may alternatively appear within a reference list presented in the piece.
• Coverage claims must be accompanied by reimbursement criteria (if applicable to the indications promoted in the piece). The criteria may appear in a footnote on the same page. When the criteria are presented elsewhere, a prominent statement near the claim must direct the reader to their location within the piece.

Additionally, the layout must not suggest that the authorized Federal indication is the reimbursement criteria (except where this is indeed the case).

When applying the above provisions, please keep in mind that off-label criteria are not acceptable in drug advertising per s3.1.

Additional consideration: RAMQ prefers that a URL linked to the RAMQ webpage containing the PDF “Liste des médicaments”, along with the date of access, also be presented somewhere within the piece (e.g. reference list).

Note that this advisory currently applies only to RAMQ and is supplemental the general provisions in the following PAAB advisories:

• http://www.paab.ca/resources/pdfs/provincial-formulary-claims1-rc-apr.pdf
• http://www.paab.ca/resources/pdfs/declarations.pdf

PAAB reviewing staff have been instructed to immediately begin applying this advisory to preclearance activities.

Ray Chepesiuk

PAAB Commissioner