Pharmacy Daily | ACCC approves GMiA code

HOSPITALITY and entertainment provided to pharmacists by members of the Generic Medicines Industry Association must be publicly reported, under the final ACCC approval of the GMiA’s Code of Conduct which was announced yesterday. The ACCC says it has “reworked” a number of the conditions under its draft approval of the code (PD 03 Aug), after support from a range of interested parties to maintain conditions requiring transparency “despite submissions from the GMiA that these conditions were not necessary.” “The ACCC remains of the view that a condition to provide transparency around the provision of hospitality to pharmacists at educational events would help to maintain public confidence that such relationships are able to withstand professional and public scrutiny,” the Commission said. In a statement yesterday the ACCC also said it believes that this won’t cause a significant administrative burden for GMiA members, “as pharmacists generally receive training in-store with limited hospitality”. The ACCC has, however, changed its previously proposed condition designed to provide high level disclosure around the nature of gifts and non-price incentives provided to pharmacists. Under the revised condition the GMiA will report annually on the “accumulated total cost to each member of providing the non-price benefits...to pharmacists, and identify the types of non-price benefits provided by each of its members in the reporting period”. More favourable trading terms provided by GMiA members to pharmacists will not be required to be reported under the changed condition to the Code. Also because the GMiA code is new, the ACCC only authorised the code for three years rather than the five years requested.

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