Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19445

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

There's no such thing as a free gift
The Sydney Morning Herald 2011 Jan 4
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/editorial/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-free-gift-20110103-19dpd.html

Full text:

THE Therapeutic Goods Administration, a branch of the federal Health Department, provides advice and makes decisions on which drugs should be licensed for use in Australia. It is in the best interests of national responsibility that the TGA ensures its checks and balances are as transparent as those of any government agency entrusted with monitoring and approving goods of a sensitive, competitive and potentially lucrative nature.

It could be argued that it is also in the best interests of the global pharmaceutical giants to try to persuade the TGA of the quality and reputation of their particular products: gaining access to the Australian market means swelling the books by many millions of dollars, and that may be called good business practice. Less sound, however, are the notorious lobbying methods employed by such institutions. For medical practitioners, these can range from free pens or complimentary stetho-scopes to free tickets to international conferences and education program sponsorships. Indeed, some medical students – not yet qualified to prescribe drugs – have been approached with various promotional items. But what price the TGA?

In November, a freedom of information application sought ‘‘details of all gifts, hospitality, travel, entertainment or other benefits’‘ provided to TGA staff by other entities over the past five years. The request was refused – not because of confidentiality, but for the more surprising and alarming reason that no such record exists. As The Age reported yesterday, a spokeswoman for the TGA said there used to be a register held in the office, but ‘‘it has not been updated for some time’‘. It is just as well the register will be ‘‘reactivated immediately’‘ – but only after the TGA was asked for information that should have been properly maintained in the first place.

Advertisement: Story continues below
The TGA’s laxity is deplorable, especially when compared with Medicare Australia, which keeps a register in its national office of all gifts worth more than $100. Certainly, the TGA’s own guidelines are specific on procedures involving all gifts – even those under the threshold of $50 can be accepted only ‘‘after taking into considerations the … guidelines and after receiving clearance from a unit or branch head’‘. Once they are brought up to date, the records must reflect the strictness of the rules that exist for good reason. As taxpayers and patients, Australians must be assured that all TGA decisions are based on medical efficacy and value for money.