Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7014

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

Dow S.
Call to expose link to doctors
The Age 2006 Nov 30
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/call-to-expose-link-to-doctors/2006/11/29/1164777654871.html

Abstract:

DRUG companies must be forced to publish details of food and travel given to doctors, with a total ban on gifts, the Federal Court heard yesterday.

David Henry, a Newcastle University clinical pharmacologist, said aggressive drug promotion had already risked serious net harm for many Australian patients.

He told the Australian Competition Tribunal the more contact doctors had with drug company representatives, the more they uncritically prescribed new and greater quantities of inadequately tested drugs.

The aggressive promotion of Cox-2 anti-inflammatory drugs Celebrex and Vioxx led to a rapid rise in Australian prescriptions, but the drugs risked thrombosis and increased heart attacks and strokes before being withdrawn in 2004.

The increased prescribing had cost the Australian community hundreds of millions of dollars that could have been spent on safer drugs and health services, he said.

Leading industry body Medicines Australia is fighting the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s order for greater transparency of gifts and hospitality to health care professionals.

Professor Henry said it was crucial the pharmaceutical industry monitor and publish regular data and trends on hospitality given to medical professionals, and not wait for serious breaches to occur. This data should be made available to the industry, consumer groups, academics and journalists.

A new study of 52 Australian medical specialists co-authored by Professor Henry found specialists each received about 42 gifts and “educational items” over eight weeks.

The hearing ends tomorrow.