Doctors Ditching Pharma Due To Increased Scrutiny

Date: Jun-18-2012Many doctors in the US are shying away from invitations to work with pharmaceutical companies
due to increased public scrutiny of these controversial relationships, according to an article in the
June 18 issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
The article by health journalist Ray Moynihan explains that in the US, the Physician Payment
Sunshine Act 2009 requires every payment to a health professional be published online.

But in Australia "darkness remains", with new proposals for increased transparency nowhere near
as comprehensive as the US law.

The article refers to US industry reports urging pharmaceutical companies to reframe their
relationship with "key opinion leaders" as being based on science rather than marketing.
"Yet while the new rhetoric is about science, expanding markets remains the reality", Mr Moynihan
writes.

"When comprehensive disclosure finally comes Down Under, some among us may well choose to
kiss goodbye to the corporate-funded key opinion leaders, no matter how much scientific rhetoric
is used to try to disguise their promotional activities", he writes.

Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.