Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19917

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

Smith P
Lobster back on ice - for now
Australian Doctor 2006 Sep 85

Full text:

The ban on drug companies offering GPs lobster and caviar at educational events is back in force as a result of the continuing row over the pharmaceutical industry’s relationship with the medical profession.

The regulations on foods considered appropriate to offer doctors at drug company-sponsored events were eased under Medicines Australia’s 15th code of conduct released in draft form earlier this year. While the draft code still outlawed “lavish” meals, unlike the previous version, it did not name and shame specific foods.

However, the introduction of the revised code, which was meant to be in place last month, has been put on ice while Medicines Australia appeals against the demand by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that the new code require drug companies to publicly list via the internet details of every event they lay on doctors, the cost of any meals and the speciality of the doctors attending.

The appeal is expected to take six months, during which time the profession will not be free to sample the delights of lobster mayonnaise sandwiches and sausage rolls with caviar courtesy of the drug industry’s largess.

The delay means other reforms in the code of conduct are also on hold. They include the ban on advertising in clinical tools software or patient education material that might be used by the doctor in consultation or discussion with a patient.

The stricter rules followed a Medical Journal of Australia study that showed ads appeared in several areas of Medical Director software that would be viewed by patients. Medical Director scrapped pop-up ads from its software last year after complaints from GPs.