Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5738

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

Drug marketing controls too strict: AMA
Australian Broadcasting Commission 2006 Jul 27
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1697996.htm

Notes:

Ralph Faggotter’s Comments:

“ He says the changes could discourage pharmaceutical companies from teaching
doctors about new drugs on the market.”

Dr Haikerwal misses the obvious: that drug companies are one of the least appropriate source of independent and objective information about new drugs imaginable!

Full text:

Drug marketing controls too strict: AMA

Doctors groups have criticised a move by the national competition watchdog
to make drug companies more transparent about how they market their drugs to
doctors.

The Australia Medical Association (AMA) says the new reporting requirements
are unreasonable.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has authorised a
new industry-regulated code of conduct for drug companies.

It requires them to fully detail any seminars or hospitality they provide
for doctors in marketing their drugs.

The ACCC’s chairman Graeme Samuel says the current system is flawed and has
led to concerns about undue influence.

“Our primary concern is that there’s not been enough disclosure, not been
enough transparency,” he said.

“Of course if they’ve got something to hide, if they don’t want disclosure
if they don’t want transparency then you’ve got to ask yourself are they
going across that line of what the community expects of them?”

But AMA president Dr Mukesh Haikerwal says the reporting requirements go too
far and are unnecessary.

“The code of conduct has been successful in reducing the amounts of excess
that we’ve seen or heard in the past,” he said.

He says the changes could discourage pharmaceutical companies from teaching
doctors about new drugs on the market.