Pharmacy Daily | MA lodges new conduct code

MEDICINES Australia will for the first time ever require its member companies to provide full public disclosure of aggregate payments to doctors and consumer groups, under a new draft Code of Conduct which has been submitted to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today. MA ceo Brendan Shaw said the revised document represents “a major shift towards greater transparency,” and follows 18 months of consultation with stakeholders including consumer groups, physicians and consumer organisations. The disclosure provisions include all payments made to healthcare professionals for advisory boards and consultancy arrangements; all sponsorships to attend medical conferences and educational events; all payments made to speakers at events; and all sponsorships of all individual consumer organisations for each financial year - including the value of non-monetary support. Other changes to the Code of Conduct include a ban on competition prizes for healthcare professionals, a ban on all brand name reminders, an explicit ban on personal gifts such as chocolates and flowers, and an explicit requirement to adhere to an IFPMA global position on disclosing clinical trial information. The first report under the new code is scheduled to be published in June 2013, expanding the existing regime which details hospitality provided at educational events. A further transparency initiative will see Medicines Australia oversee the establishment of a working group “to develop an effective and workable mechanism for ensuring even greater transparency in the relationship between industry and doctors”. The new Code of Conduct is now under consideration by the ACCC, and can be viewed online at www.medicinesaustralia.com.au.

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