Healthy Skepticism Library item: 9802

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

Gladman S.
Drug companies fund Geelong doctors' trips
The Geelong Advertiser (Victoria, Australia) 2007 Apr 21
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/04/21/3087_news.html

Full text:

DOCTORS at Geelong Hospital are accepting free international flights from pharmaceutical companies, a whistleblower has said.

A doctor has told the Geelong Advertiser “a number” of medical staff have pushed the boundary or broken industry guidelines in accepting money to travel to conferences.

Barwon Health yesterday confirmed one doctor was treated to a business-class flight to the US in December last year.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer paid the department head to travel to New York for a conference.

His department is believed to be one of biggest users of a Pfizer drug in Victoria.

Another hospital insider said Barwon Health had known about the incident for more than a month, but had failed to act.

The new case and the whistleblower’s claim raise questions about whether such practices influence prescribing habits.

A Barwon Health spokeswoman yesterday said the department head had done nothing wrong.

Such gifts are acceptable under Barwon Health’s code of conduct as long as they do not influence purchasing.

“It was determined that there was no conflict of interest and no purchasing decisions would be influenced as a result,’‘ she said.

“From time to time medical staff have their professional development funded by external companies.

“(We) endeavour to ensure that (we’re) aware of these instances and that conflicts of interest do not arise.’‘

The spokeswoman rejected the claim that the acceptance of gifts from drug companies was widespread among Barwon Health doctors.

But the whistleblower, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the problem was significant and called for a review of ethical responsibilities.

“I’m just aware that over the years I’ve been working in Geelong that a number of medical practitioners have received trips of that nature,’‘ the doctor said.

“I don’t go around asking people when they’ve come back from overseas whether their trip was paid for (by a drug company), but (the latest case) is certainly not an isolated problem.

“I think ethical responsibilities in that area need to be looked at more closely.’‘

The whistleblower said doctors were confused.

“We’re all guided by our own ethics. Perhaps our industry needs to tighten up what’s acceptable and what’s not,’‘ the doctor said.