Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4535

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: news

Companies 'overstep mark' to promote drugs
ABC Online (Australia) 2006 May 2
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1628456.htm

Full text:

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has criticised drug companies using luxury holidays and lavish dinners to promote their products to doctors.

ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel says some companies are inappropriately inducing doctors to prescribe their drugs.

He says the industry’s proposed voluntary code of conduct is not stringent.

Mr Samuel believes companies are crossing the line when they pay doctors to attend functions they sponsor.

“We are concerned about the so-called educational activities that are provided by drug companies to members of the medical profession,” he said.

“And the prospect that those educational activities overstep the mark and actually become promotional activities, whereby benefits are offered to members of the medical profession.”

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has rejected the claims.

AMA federal president, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, says doctors know a sales pitch when they hear one.

“Doctors will prescribe medication which are in the best interests of their patients,” he said.

Mr Samuel says the commission does not have enough power to regulate the industry.

“We have already expressed the view that we don’t think that the code of conduct they’ve submitted to us goes nearly far enough in properly regulating their relationship with the medical profession,” he said.

“There’s not much more we can do about it, though, I think, under the law that we administer.”