Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15783

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

Clarke M.
Medical Events Minus The Bucks
mice.net 2008 Jun
http://www.btp.net.au/99/section.aspx/category/2/catalog/31/page/993

Abstract:

There are big sponsorship dollars on tap for medical meetings but what, asks one planner, is the real cost?

Full text:

Medical education conference company, Meetings with Altitude, is building its business completely free of any assistance from pharmaceutical or medical equipment companies, and that’s the way director Sue Abbott intends to keep it.

Ms Abbott made her comments following the release of a report from Medicines Australia, the peak body representing 80 per cent of Australia’s pharmaceutical companies, on how much pharmaceutical companies were spending on events.

Medicines Australia revealed the cost of hospitality (travel, accommodation and catering) for the six months to December 31, 2007 was $16.4 million. The total cost of events, including hospitality, speaker costs, event organisational costs, venue hire and other related expenses was $31 million.
Ms Abbott is based in Scone in regional NSW and organises meetings in ski fields in New Zealand and Canada for mainly rural and general practitioners who pay their own way.

She has strong-held views that medical education should be completely separate from the drug industry, and as such, she does not seek sponsorship of any kind from pharmaceutical or medical equipment companies.

“The pharmaceutical companies are always eager to get involved with doctors full stop and so are prepared to fund many a hospitality opportunity,” she says.

“There also seems to be a concerted effort on their part to assume the mantle of education providers. It is hard to grasp how independent education can be delivered to doctors via commercially-driven drug companies.

“I have a strong belief that medical education should be completely separate from the drug industry, and therefore do not seek it. Nothing in life is free, and sponsorship is offered by big-pharma in a clearly calculated way to invest in their own bottom line.”

She says doctors are naive to believe that they can remain unbiased “despite the drug companies’ blatant schmoozing”.

“Event organisers need to realise that by accepting the large monies that big-pharma channels their way to organise medical meetings, they are in effect cheating patients of further research and development. A significant amount of drug company money goes to marketing, depleting the research bucket.”

Ms Abbott’s events are not only focused on medical education but are also promoted as being family friendly.

“Since we have no sponsorship whatsoever and the doctors pay their way completely we do not have to worry about the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct guidelines.

“Our modus operandi has provided a sound forum for medical education. There are no drug reps to hijack the breakout sessions; delegates can network with each other and the quality specialists at all times during the conference. We are completely independent and this is what has allowed us to mount effective events for our clients. No-one owes anyone anything; no-one is beholden or obliged – the provision of quality independent education underpins all our medical meetings.”

Leading up to the conference Meetings with Altitude takes out one advertisement in a commercial medical publication in addition to advertising through medical newsletters and websites.
“Our own website is comprehensive and current, and the registration brochure is accessed through that.

“During the conference we conduct quick evaluations after each education session, and then an overall one at the end of the conference, which details not only educational components but the suitability of the venue, and how contented any families were that accompanied the delegates. We respond to and factor in all suggestions and criticisms.”

She says feedback is usually excellent, and the delegates are prepared to pay the realistic registration fee. There are very few “extras” at the conference, but the locations are always appealing and relaxing and no-one seems bothered that they will not receive conference packs with freebies. All they get is a conference workbook and schedule.

“The nature of the hands-on sessions mean that we can only take up to 40 delegates, so with families encouraged, we are probably looking at no more than 100 people all-up.

“The registration fee includes all the education sessions, daily networking drinks session, and the conference dinner. We often have an extra dinner positioned halfway through the week for social purposes, but that is not included in the registration fee. Families may attend all social occasions for a “true cost” fee.”
Guideline breaches

The Medicines Australia report shows that 14,633 educational events for doctors and other healthcare professionals were held or sponsored by 42 Medicines Australia member companies during the six months to December 31, 2007.

A MA spokesman confirmed that as a result of the independent review of their members’ activities, 52 medical education events would be investigated for possible breaches of the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct. Events which have been assessed as potentially in breach of the code have been forwarded to an independent code of conduct committee for formal investigation.

Medicines Australia chief executive Ian Chalmers says more than 99.6 per cent of events were compliant with the code.

“However, Medicines Australia has a zero-tolerance approach to breaches of the code of conduct, a position fully supported by every member company,” Mr Chalmers said.

“The innovative pharmaceutical industry is committed to the highest standard of corporate ethical behaviour. The code of conduct is clear on medical education events. Gifts are banned. Entertainment is banned. Lavish meals are banned.”

Companies found to have breached the code of conduct face fines of up to $200,000 per breach.

Zero tolerance

Child psychiatrist, Dr Jon Jureidini of Adelaide, who heads Healthy Skepticism, a body whose main aim is to improve health by reducing harms from misleading drug promotion, says there is no place for direct involvement of pharma in medical education.

“If it is altruism, then pharma could place money in a blind trust for medical education,” he says.
“If it is marketing then it has the known dangers of leading to inappropriate management. If pharmaceutical companies want to support medical education for the developing world, there are ways of doing this without including a marketing component. The developing world is no less vulnerable to inappropriate prescribing than we are.”