Manufacturers who made "misleading" claims about their new contraceptive pill should reimburse the NHS for some of the money made from its use, the consumers' association said last night.

Schering Health Care withdrew advertising aimed at doctors for its Yasmin brand in October after the medicines control agency, the government's watchdog body, investigated complaints made by the association's Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

The bulletin had questioned claims made by the company that suggested its product had advantages over older rivals with regards to weight gain, premenstrual symptoms and skin condition. It was promoted as "the pill for well-being". The association continues to say the claims were misleading.

The bulletin's editor Joe Collier is calling for Schering to repay £200,000 of its takings from prescriptions for the contraceptive, which is up to eight times as expensive as alternatives.

Doctors have so far issued nearly 45,000 prescriptions for Yasmin, which was launched in Britain last April.

Schering said it stood by its claims on the benefits of its product on water retention, premenstrual symptoms and skin health. "We will continue to support what we believe about the clinical data in relation to Yasmin. It is about how it is interpreted in terms of advertising."

A spokeswoman said the company was not going to appeal against the medicines agency's request to withdraw the advertisement.