DRUG PROMOTION has some benefits

DEGUSTATION at the GUILLAUME RESTAURANT

THE CASE

Last year the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) declared that "educational" events organised by drug companies for doctors must be recorded in a systematic manner. This was a condition of the ACCC's renewal of approval of the drug industries code of practice.

The drug companies representative body Medicines Australia, previously known as Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association, was initially opposed to monitoring and recording of these events because they were to onerous. However they have now relented and appointed an independent auditor as a monitor. The monitor, Deloitte, will report retrospectively on events from 01/07/2007 to 31/12/2007, and Medicines Australia will publish the results on its website http://www.medicinesaustralia.com.au/. The report will be available in February 2008.

On the positive side, these events are a good opportunity for doctors to receive continuing education, too keep up with the latest developments and to network. The hard pressed government health systems should be providing these educational and peer support events, but there is no real money public money available.

Medicines Australia puts it like this:

“I hope people will recognise that these events are important in educating doctors about new medicines and the quality use of medicines. I also hope that this audit gives the community confidence that the manner in which these events are conducted is closely and effectively monitored.”

Good corporate behaviour does not come naturally to multinational companies, especially the pharmaceutical giants. Drug company sponsorship of an event can mean the information provided is one sided, incomplete or even misleading. Let's face it, if they have spent squillions of dollars on developing a drug they need some return. The marketing arms are tempted to do (almost) anything to beg, cajole, bribe, blackmail, trick or even force doctors to prescribe their product. It is on public record that Roche spent $65,000 on a single night event for just 300 doctors (some media reported only 200), at the Guillaume Restaurant Bennelong Point, this is not exactly "simple and modest" as required by the industry code of conduct.

The harbourside restaurant boasts a “degustation” menu of sterling caviar, kingfish sashimi and the best of French and Australian wines. The meal was priced at more than $200 a head, and the whole night cost Roche over A$65,000. I know that for fact because a disgruntled diner leaked me a copy of the bill. “The gluttony of the whole thing was mind-blowing,”

More DEGUSTATION at the GUILLAUME

Judges on the Australian Federal Court, in June 2007, handed down a decision, against the Australian pharmaceutical industry. They found that excessive hospitality ran the risk of altering doctor's decision making and that the drug companies would not bother to offer these junkets if there was no benefit to them. This is reminiscent of the arguments for and against tobacco advertising.

MY VERDICT

Fortunately our doctors are an intelligent lot, and most of them will attend just for the free feed, the flesh-pressing and the talks. Some of them might even like the (usually tawdry) gifts, but most are probably not swayed in their prescribing, at least consciously. Subliminally, however, they may have a leaning towards the products named on their pen, or scribble pad, or from the rep that gave them a bottle of good red at Christmas. That is human nature.

In a funny sort of way the drug companies are performing a public service. They are educating our doctors at no discernible cost to the public, by holding an estimated 10,000 events each year. They are also keeping the cost of healthcare down by giving doctors free pens.

NOTE

Medicines Australia says:

If you have any concerns in relation to the activities of a prescription medicine company or wish to lodge a complaint please contact the Secretary, Code of Conduct Committee at Medicines Australia on 02 6282 6888 (9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday) secretarycodecommittee@medicinesaustralia.com.au.