Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20078
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
Wrist slap for code of conduct breach
Australian Doctor 2005 July 293
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/wrist-slap-for-code-of-conduct-breach
Full text:
Six pharmaceutical companies advertising on Medical Director software have been found guilty of breaching the Medicines Australia code of conduct, but the strongest rebuke has been a request to revise the ads, Australian Doctor has learnt.
Medicines Australia’s independent code of conduct committee has the power to impose up to $200,000 in penalties for breaching its code. But according to a leaked report obtained by Australian Doctor, not one company incurred a fine.
The original complaint about advertisements running on Medical Director in December was made by Dr Ken Harvey, senior lecturer in public health at La Trobe University, Melbourne.
The code of conduct committee found 13 breaches arising from seven different advertisements.
The most common breach was making a promotional claim without including PBS disclosure information. Also, several advertisements had illegible generic names. Two promotional claims that had previously been found in breach of the code of conduct, appeared on ads that had not been withdrawn from Medical Director.
The six companies – Alcon, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Sanofi Aventis and Solvay- had until this Monday to appeal the decision.
Medicines Australia refused to comment until the completion of the appeals process, stating that its committee’s ruling remained confidential.
HANDS OFF RECORDS
MORE than three-quarters (76%) of patients would change their GP if they found out they were selling de-identified information without their consent, according to an AMA survey.
The association’s poll of 1000 people found most were concerned about their doctor passing on their de-identified information without first asking, and 62% said they would not consent to their de-identified records being used for commercial purposes. In contrast, 38% said they would not consent to their use for medical research.
