Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18061

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

Sibbald B
Alberta MDs irate over prescribing privacy issue
CMAJ 2003 Nov 11; 169:(10):1066
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/169/10/1066

Abstract:

Much to the chagrin of the Alberta Medical Association, a major collector of health data has “flip-flopped” on its previous policy and no longer allows doctors to refuse to share their drug-prescribing information with the company.

Until Sept. 9, IMS Health (Canada) allowed physicians, through its voluntary privacy code, to request that their information not be sold. IMS collects prescribing data from pharmacies, then sells it to pharmaceutical companies that in turn target high prescribers. Since IMS voluntarily initiated this opt-out policy in 1996, the company has received only a handful of requests. But that changed Aug. 28, when the AMA sent a letter urging all its member physicians to opt out. …