Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19834

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: Magazine

Limprecht E
Crackdown on drug advisory boards
Australian Doctor 2005 Aug 263
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/crackdown-on-drug-advisory-boards

Abstract:

COMPLAINTS that drug companies are setting up paid advisory boards as a way of influencing doctors to support and promote their drugs have led to a crackdown by the pharmaceutical industrys own regulator. Under Medicines Australias existing code of conduct, drug companies are banned from paying doctors to attend educational meetings about their products, but they can pay them to sit on product advisory boards. However, the situation has led to claims that companies have circumvented the rules by setting up multiple advisory boards with large numbers of doctors and medical experts, effectively using meetings for promotional purposes.In one complaint, Pfizer was reported to the Medicines Australia code of conduct committee for paying doctors $500 each to attend one of five round-table..