Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19841

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Publication type: Media Release

Rouse R
New code seeks clearer promotion of drug benefits
Medical Observer 2004 Aug 13

Full text:

GPs will be urged to demand straight talking from pharmaceutical reps under a new policy developed by the Pharmaceutical Health and Rational Use of Medicines (PHARM) government advisory committee.

Central west Gipsland GP and PHARM member Dr Julie Thompson is developing the policy, which is expected to be the world’s first to set benchmarks for quality use of medicines for prevention.

The use of descriptors such as relative risk could be distorting when doctors were being pitched information about new pharmaceutical products, Dr Thompson said.

“One thing PHARM is looking at is the code of conduct around pharmaceutical detailers so they discuss new drugs in terms of absolute risk and numbers needed to treat, which is more realistic [than relative risk]”, she said.

Consumers and clinicians also needed to balance numbers needed to treat with the number harmed by the treatment, Dr Thompson told the recent National Medicines Symposium.

PHARM chair Professor Ric Day said that a good grasp of risk was central to quality use of medicines, particularly as more people were being prescribed medicines for primary and secondary prevention.

“There’s no doubt that people can exaggerate perception of risk, and we see it all the time”, Professor Day told Medical Observer.

“But a clear understanding of risk will be a help if patients are going to be asked to take, say, lipid-lowering drugs for life, to prevent something happening later when they feel perfectly well now”.

The Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council will conduct consultations on the PHARM prevention paper.
Medicines Australia spokesman Steve Haynes said the pharmaceutical industry conducted regular reviews of its code of conduct for medical representatives in association with the key medical bodies.

“No doubt if this issue is raised, it will be taken up in that context”, Mr Haynes said.