Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18632

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Magazine

Guild pro GMiA code change
Pharmacy Daily 2010 Aug 25
www.pharmacydaily.com.au

Full text:

THE Pharmacy Guild says it’s in favour of the ACCC proposal to extend the Generic Medicines Industry Association Code of
Conduct to include reporting of pharmacist incentives for sale of generic medicines.

In a submission to the ACCC following the commission’s draft approval of the code (PD 04 Aug), Guild executive director
Wendy Phillips said the Guild understands and supports the condition which requires “high level disclosure of the value
of non-price incentives offered to pharmacists by GMiA companies.”

She noted that this information, along with commercial trading terms data, is already reported to government as part of
the price disclosure requirements of the PBS reforms.

The Guild has also come out in favour of the other major ACCC condition for authorisation – the extension of education
event reporting requirements to all health professionals including pharmacists.

Phillips said the Guild “understands and supports this extension to the code,” but pointed out that “in the case of
community pharmacy, these education events are limited in their scope and content”.

In its submission to the ACCC the Guild also welcomed Parliamentary Mark Butler’s proposal for stronger self-regulation
by the pharmaceutical and therapeutic goods industries for promotion of their products to doctors and other health
professionals, and in particular his call for greater consistency in the codes of conduct.

MEANWHILE Medicines Australia has also made a submission after the draft determination, supporting the condition
requiring reporting of benefits to pharmacists including hospitality, entertainment, gifts, non-price incentives and
loyalty rewards programs.

However MA also said it would prefer that such incentives were specifically prohibited under the GMiA code, adding that
it was concerned that financial sanctions for inappropriate behaviour under the code were not sufficient.

Medicines Australia said the GMiA fines should be comparable to those under its code.