Healthy Skepticism Library item: 12175

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Komesaroff PA.
Relationships between health professionals and industry: maintaining a delicate balance
Australian Prescriber 2007 Dec; 30:(6):150
http://www.australianprescriber.com/upload/pdf/articles/920.pdf

Abstract:

The power and influence of the pharmaceutical industry has raised concerns among health professionals and the wider
community and led to calls for increased regulation. Overwhelming evidence that advertising, contact with company
representatives, gift giving, sponsorship of meetings and other forms of promotion influence prescribing behaviour, has
drawn particular attention to drug promotion. In answer to these concerns a range of responses has developed, including
rules set by government, processes for the review and management of research, industry codes of conduct, community
responses, and guidelines generated by practitioner associations. The various forms of regulation taken together strike
a delicate balance that aims to protect the interests of the community and individual patients, foster research and the
development of new products, maintain public confidence in pharmaceuticals and medicine, and facilitate ethical decision
making among the various participants. Although guidelines for health professionals provide some advice, they cannot
cover all situations where conflicts and dualities may arise in practice.

Keywords:
Drug promotion, drug regulation, ethics.