ACCC Falls for Media Beat-Up On Pharmaceutical Education
AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that the ACCC has fallen for the media 'free lunch' beat-up over legitimate education programs where doctors learn about new drugs that save lives.
The AMA supports the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct but is concerned that the ACCC's additional reporting requirements will affect legitimate medical education.
Dr Haikerwal said the ACCC and the Government should be focused on the genuine education aspects of the relationship between drug companies and doctors.
"The ACCC should not be placing unreasonable reporting demands upon the drug companies - demands that will discourage these important learning opportunities for doctors.
"If doctors do not learn about new life-saving and health-enhancing drugs through the seminars put on by the pharmaceutical companies then the patients will not be prescribed the best possible drug for their condition - it's as simple as that," Dr Haikerwal said.
"These seminars give doctors the opportunity to critically appraise the information the drug companies provide about their new products and to quiz them directly about their methods and results.
"Medicines Australia already has in place an appropriate code with which the drug companies, to the best knowledge of doctors attending these seminars, comply.
"The onus is on the sponsor of the event, not the invited doctors who attend in good faith.
"Doctors are committed to continuing self-education in order to maintain the best level of knowledge with which to treat their patients.
"Industry-sponsored education is often necessary and appropriate so long as education is the primary objective and such initiatives are not promotional in nature.
"Like any seminar, the provision of meals is appropriate, particularly for long educational sessions, as doctors are sacrificing their time - often their personal time - to maintain their education and provide the best advice to their patients.
"Doctors will not be influenced by gifts or any sort of inducements by the pharmaceutical industry, including the provision of meals during educational activities.
"We want to provide the best possible care for our patients with the best possible drugs, where necessary. The ACCC must have better things to do with their time than discourage this important objective," Dr Haikerwal said.