Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20105

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

Howe M
Computer ad rules criticised
Australian Doctor 2006 May 124
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/computer-ad-rules-criticised

Full text:

NEW software rules that attempt to prevent patients seeing pharmaceutical advertising on GPs computers are unlikely to work, the national competition watchdog warns.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has cast doubt on the effectiveness of many aspects of the Medicines Australia revised code of conduct, despite giving it interim authorisation last month.

Under the code, companies must ensure no ads are placed on software with clinical tools or patient education material that might be used by the doctor in consultation or discussion with a patient.

The stricter rules follow a study showing that ads were appearing 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.

However, in its draft determination, the ACCC stated:

“There may be screens that patients are likely to view during a consultation, regardless of whether they are designed to be viewed. As such, it is not clear that the sections as currently drafted will ensure full compliance.”

Opposition health spokeswoman Ms Julia Gillard called for all drug advertising to be banned on GP software, saying self-regulation of pharmaceutical industry promotions had allowed too many inappropriate activities.

“At the very least, all advertising should be banned from doctors’ prescribing software and Labor would support such a ban being implemented,” she said.

The ACCC, in authorising the code, imposed a condition requiring pharmaceutical companies to provide details about all meetings or symposia they had held or sponsored over a randomly selected one-month period each year. For the first time, Medicines Australia will be required to publish that information.

A spokesman for Medicines Australia said the industry was considering the ACCC authorisation.