Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20062

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
Pharma gifts mean specialists live it up
Australian Doctor 2006 Aug 115
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/pharma-gifts-mean-specialists-live-it-up

Full text:

GPS familiar with the pharmaceutical industry’s branded-pen range and the sausage rolls on offer at their educational meetings may be interested to note the goodies being showered on their specialist colleagues.

An investigation by academic researchers has found drug companies have heeded specialists’ requests for everything from CDs, computers and microwaves to salaries for nursing staff and cash for the office Christmas party.

The study published online in the Internal Medicine Journal is based on the responses of 823 specialists to a survey conducted in 2002.

Specialists said the most lucrative gifts included international travel, with 188 of the doctors receiving offers with a median value of $7559.

Although the image of specialists as lovers of fine wines and fine food was boosted recently with the revelation that Roche spent $65,000 entertaining 200 cancer specialists at Guillaume at Bennelong, inside the Sydney Opera House – the reality for many others may be different.

Ninety-seven specialists claimed they have been offered a “dinner and wine” evening, but the average value was $94 a head.

Six unnamed doctors admitted they had requested money from a drug company (a median of $36,833) to cover nursing salaries, and another doctor had asked for $500 for the office Christmas party.

It is estimated that GPs’ prescribing accounts for about 85% of the PBS budget. But lead-author of the research, Associate Professor Paul McNeill from the University of NSW said:

“From our discussions with the industry they are targeting specialists not because their prescribing has a big impact on their profits although that can be a factor. It is because they see them as opinion leaders within medicine. For that reason they are a much better target than general practice.”

The survey was conducted in 2002. Medicines Australia, the drug industry representative group, said it tightened its code of conduct in 2003.

Internal Medicine Journal 2006; online.