Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19787

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Publication type: Magazine

Eccies K
Divisions' bid to take over pharma education a hard sell
Medical Observer 2006 Sep 1

Full text:

The ADGP’s plan to take over the education and training of doctors carried out by pharmaceutical companies has met with a cool reception.
CEO Kate Carnell has written to Medicines Australia suggesting pharmaceutical companies pay divisions to carry out educational activities. Ms Carnell wanted divisions to employ facilitators to run the events.
The move followed Australian Competition and Consumer Association concerns about the relationships between pharmaceutical companies and health professionals.
But the National Prescribing Service (NPS), which already educated health professionals about drugs, was the ideal independent body to carry out such tasks, according to public health expert Dr Ken Harvey.
“The NPS has a much broader ambit…It shouldn’t be done through divisions, as there are more people to educate than people in divisions.”
Clinical pharmacologist Professor David Henry agreed. He said: “This is what the NPS is set up to do. I think to set up a parallel system of any kind would not be desirable.”
AMA president Dr Mukesh Haikerwal urged caution, claiming that the proposal could “backfire” on the ADGP and “play into the hands of critics” who would argue the ADGP was being influenced by pharmaceutical companies.
But the ADGP chair Dr Jenny Thomson said education needed to be more systematic.
“Having the division as a broker… would mean the doctor’s relationship isn’t being influenced. I’m for supporting a system that distances the relationship but that also supports ongoing education.”
NPS CEO Dr Lynn Weekes (PhD) said she had not seen the ADGP’s proposal “but the NPS will continue to provide GPs with information independent of the pharmaceutical industry.”
Medicines Australia declined to comment.