Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19169

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: Journal Article

Parker MH, Wardle JL, Weir M, Stewart CL
Medical merchants: conflict of interest, office product sales and notifiable conduct
Med J Aust 2011; 194:(1):34-37
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/194_01_030111/par10613_fm.html

Abstract:

Professional ethical codes identify the issue of conflict of interest, which can distort doctors’ objective judgements concerning the best interests of patients.
Legal fiduciary duties may be owed by doctors to patients in situations of potential conflict of interest.
Prescribing and dispensing functions have been largely legally separated to prevent conflicts of interest arising.
The advent of integrative medicine has been accompanied by an apparent growth of in-house selling of therapeutic products.
Medical merchandising constitutes a prima-facie conflict of interest and may amount to notifiable conduct under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law provisions.
We believe that doctors who sell therapeutic products should adhere to strict conditions to avoid significantly departing from accepted professional standards.
Doctors who have a reasonable belief that a colleague is failing to comply with these conditions could consider notifying the Medical Board of Australia.