Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17676

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

Harvey slams generic code
Pharmacy Daily 2010 Apr 22
www.pharmacydaily.com.au

Full text:

LA TROBE University’s School of Public Health has formally objected to the proposed Generic Medicines Industry
Association Code of Practice (PD 13 Apr), saying it is “considerably weaker (and less specific)” than the codes of
Medicines Australia and the Australian Self-Medication Industry.

The university’s Ken Harvey says the GMiA Code only requires the reporting of promotional activities to prescribers and
not dispensers, adding that he believes this is inappropriate given previous concern about ‘educational’ events directed
at pharmacists, such as the controversial Sigma cruises..

He’s also pointed out that fines imposed under the code are much smaller than those which apply to Medicines Australia
members, and also taken exception to the GMiA process which sees complaints go first to member companies rather than an
independent panel.

Harvey said the anomalies highlight issues previously raised with the variety of “complex and convoluted co-regulatory
systems for therapeutic claims and promotional practices”.

He’s also sent the submission to Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler, urging the adoption of a govt-funded
single overarching Code applicable to all therapeutic claims and promotional practices, supported by one monitoring
process, a single complaint and appeal process and one set of effective sanctions.