Healthy Skepticism Library item: 14194

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: news

Half GPs unaware of NPS
Pharmacy Daily (Australia) - registration required 2008 Aug 27
http://www.pharmacydaily.com.au

Full text:

ONLY about half of the general practitioners surveyed in a recent CHOICE report were even aware
of the National Prescribing Service and its independent function of offering objective information on new medicines.

By contrast, the survey found that 65% of GPs saw more than five pharmaceutical sales reps a month, with 34% receiving more than ten visits and a handful seeing over 20 reps a month.

“CHOICE is concerned about the level of access that pharmaceutical company drug representatives have to GPs relative to independent sources of information,” said CHOICE spokesman Michael Johnston.

He said 60% of the 180 doctors surveyed also said there weren’t enough sources of independent information available for them to be able to keep abreast of new drugs without receiving visits from the drug reps.

CHOICE is urging the govt to “invest more money in independent medical information” so GPs can receive regular updates on new drugs “from sources free from industry influence.”

And it’s going further, suggesting that such a move could be paid for by a “one-off reduction in the
prices paid to pharmaceutical companies” through the PBS.

Only a third of the doctors surveyed had ever met with a medical educator from the NPS, with CHOICE saying there’s “strong evidence that pharmaceutical promotion isn’t in the best interests of consumers.”