In place from January until determination made.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has given interim authorisation to Medicines Australia’s 17th Code of Conduct until its final determination can be made for the organisation’s 18th edition.
The ACCC said this would come into effect on 10 Jan.
Medicines Australia had requested more time to respond to the ACCC’s draft determination, which had included a requirement that all relevant transfers made by pharmaceutical member companies to healthcare professionals were reported, as well as that the pre-decision conference be delayed, the ACCC said.
“As a result, the ACCC will not be able to make a final determination in relation to the substantive application for authorisation of edition 18 of the Code before the existing authorisation of edition 17 of the Code expires on 11 January 2015.”
Interim authorisation would “maintain the status quo” and allow the ACCC to finalise its decision on edition 18 of the Code of Conduct, ACCC commissioner Dr Jill Walker said.
A final determination was expected in the first quarter of next year, ACCC said.
For more, see tomorrow’s Pharmacy Daily.