Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5913

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

Metherell M.
Days of GP perks are over, says lobbyist
Sydney Morning Herald 2006 Aug 19
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/days-of-gp-perks-are-over-says-lobbyist/2006/08/18/1155408025308.html

Notes:

Ralph Faggotter’s Comments:

ADGP could well become even more the plaything of the drug promotion
industry under this ADGP proposal, while providing the drug promotion industry with even
more apparent legitimacy.
The complacent complicit attitude of the ADGP chairwoman does not allay one’s fears

Furthermore, from the article-

“ Hospitality at standard sessions might include a finger food meal. In some
cases the sessions might be held at a hotel at night and doctors would be
served a modest meal. Alcohol was less commonly served these days, Dr
Thomson said.”

This is not entirely true. Alcohol is nearly always served after hours and
substantial meals are still regularly provided.

“ The ADGP proposal would include sessions with speakers provided by the
drug companies “inside agreed parameters”. “

This is hardly being independant!

“ Dr Thomson said the ADGP proposal aimed to develop existing arrangements
at which GP divisions in different areas organised sessions on drug
treatments for particular diseases.”

Note: the meetings are not to be about how to manage a particular condition
but what ‘drug treatments’ to use!
This represents substantive bias before we even start the meeting!

“ The chairwoman of the Australian Divisions of General Practice, Jenny
Thomson, said pharmaceutical companies retained an important role in the
education of doctors on drug developments.”

The chairwoman here clearly shows that she is in favour of drug company
promotion being regarded as education.
This shows that she is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Full text:

Days of GP perks are over, says lobbyist

Mark Metherell
August 19, 2006

A NATIONAL doctors organisation has intervened in the fight by drug
companies against tighter disclosure rules ordered by regulators on drug
marketing to doctors.

The Australian Divisions of General Practice has proposed to the
pharmaceutical industry that the GP group take over the running of
information sessions currently dominated by pharmaceutical companies.

The industry body, Medicines Australia, is appealing against the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission’s new edict requiring companies to
disclose all “education events” where they provide doctors with hospitality – an estimated 8000 occasions a year.

The tougher measure follows fresh reports of drug companies hosting doctors
at lavish dinners. The industry’s code of practice had required that
hospitality at education sessions be modest.

But Medicines Australia says the commission’s decision imposes excessive red
tape.

The commission’s chairman, Graeme Samuel, said the watchdog had taken the
impact of its requirements into account. “We do not go into these things
lightly,” he said.

The general practice group wrote to Medicines Australia last week offering
to stage such sessions, within its 120-branch network, on behalf of
pharmaceutical companies.

A spokesman for Medicines Australia said the organisation had not yet had an
opportunity to discuss the “interesting” proposal. “Obviously we would
welcome an opportunity to discuss it further.”

The chairwoman of the Australian Divisions of General Practice, Jenny
Thomson, said pharmaceutical companies retained an important role in the
education of doctors on drug developments.

Lavish hospitality, including dinners, wines and conferences with holiday
packages, were in her experience a thing of the past.

“I do not think doctors have any concern about transparency . they are not
in the pocket of the drug companies,” Dr Thomson said.

Medicines Australia says that a session attended by two doctors at which a
company representative provides coffee and muffins would have to be reported
on Medicine Australia’s public website.

Dr Thomson said the ADGP proposal aimed to develop existing arrangements at
which GP divisions in different areas organised sessions on drug treatments
for particular diseases.

Such events were often sponsored, but not directed, by drug companies.
Alternatively, drug companies themselves organised events with doctors at
which they promoted a particular product.

Hospitality at standard sessions might include a finger food meal. In some
cases the sessions might be held at a hotel at night and doctors would be
served a modest meal. Alcohol was less commonly served these days, Dr
Thomson said.

The ADGP proposal would include sessions with speakers provided by the drug
companies “inside agreed parameters”.