Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20038

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

Fleming K
'Gift' pens and notepads labelled unethical
Medical Observer 2005 July 111

Full text:

GP groups should endorse strict new ethical guidelines from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and not even accept pens or notepads from pharmaceutical companies, an ethics expert says.

The draft RACP guidelines – currently out for public comment – focus on doctor’s relationships with pharmaceutical companies.

The guidelines advise doctors not to accept gifts, lavish meals, entertainment or conference tickets in light of “extensive evidence that medical practitioners are influenced by their contact with industry”.

Dr Wendy Rogers, associate professor of medical ethics and health law at Flinders University, said the RACGP should make a submission on the guidelines and adopt them when finalised.

“It is a bit of a calling card, a warning shot for GPs, because I think standards that apply to physicians should apply to GPs and any other doctors likely to be influenced”, she said.

But Dr Rosanna Capolingua, chair of the AMA’s ethics committee, said there was a bigger ethical problem – on-selling patient data, which the AMA’s code of ethics is planning to address.

Early this year it was revealed that some GPs received money or gift vouchers for releasing deidentified patient data to research firm CAMM Pacific, data company said was used for pharmaceutical research.

“I don’t think [pens and pads] make a difference to prescribing behaviour”, Dr Capolingua said.

RACGP National Standing Committe – Quality Care chair Dr Shiong Tan said the college had its own acceptance of gifts policy and endorsed the AMA code of conduct.

He said the relationship the college and GPs had with the pharmaceutical industry should be “open and transparent” and “not jeopardise the trust implicit in the [GP]-patient relationship”.

The RACp guidelines said poorly managed relationships between pharmaceutical industry and doctors could erode the integrity of both professions.