COMPLEMENTARY Medicines Australia (CMA) has criticised Friends of Science in Medicine and health activist Ken Harvey, (PD yesterday)describing him as "disingenuous" on the subject of advertising pre-approvals.
Carl Gibson told Pharmacy Daily, Ken Harvey and his "fringe group", conflated the idea of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) taking over complaints with "getting rid" of the complaints system altogether, when fully aware this is not the case.
The TGA reforms introduced were a broader range of sanctions and penalties including measures to enable effective action to be undertaken expeditiously if an advertisement breached the requirements of the Act, Regulations or Advertising Code, Gibson said adding, "The overwhelming view of stakeholders is that the Complaints Resolution Panel is not fit for purpose.
"It is currently taking on average over 125 days for the Complaints Resolution Panel to deal with a complaint from the date of receipt, so it's difficult for anyone to argue that CRP is doing a good job for consumers," he said.
New measures to be introduced include enforceable directions, infringement notices, injunctions, substantiation notices and public warning notices, as well as criminal and civil penalties, "giving the TGA watchdog much needed teeth," Gibson said.
He said it was disappointing that Harvey was not supporting these changes despite "campaigning for years on the issue".
Gibson noted the submission from the Department of Health to the Senate Inquiry on the issues, which said the proposals "when taken together offer a well-balanced package of reforms that is overall supported by consumers, health care professionals and industry".
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