Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15523

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

Plavix ad complaint
Pharmacy Daily (Australia) - registration required 2009 Apr 29
http://www.pharmacydaily.com.au

Full text:

A FORMAL complaint has been lodged with Medicines Australia over an advertising campaign for sanofi-aventis’ Plavix (clopidogrel) which touts a deal between Melbourne’s Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

According to the ads, every time a doctor prescribes Plavix the institute receives 25c from the
manufacturer, with more than $100,000 in research funding already raised as a result.

La Trobe University’s Dr Ken Harvey has raised concerns, which were also expressed in online news
commentator Crikey and in yesterday’s Australian, about the company making its financial support for the institute dependent on doctors writing a script.

He’s written to Medicines Australia highlighting section 7.1.2 of its Code of Conduct which says
that “nothing should be offered or provided in a manner or on conditions that would interfere with
the independence of a healthcare professional’s prescribing or dispensing practices.

“This arrangement between Sanofi-Aventis and the Baker Institute is…likely to encourage the
continued prescriptoin of Plavix after the patent has expired,” Harvey said.

He also claimed the arrangement breaches section 10.8 of the Code, which covers “activities engaged in by companies with healthcare professionals that bring discredit upon, or reduce confidence in the pharmaceutical industry.”