Questions for consumer health organisations

When a health consumer organisation has never worked with a pharmaceutical company before, it may be useful for the managing body (e.g. the board) to consider:

• Have we considered the benefits and risks of working with pharmaceutical companies?
• Should we consult directly with our members before we start working with pharmaceutical companies?
• Are there other HCOs that already work with pharmaceutical companies that we can learn from?

If we decide to work together with one or more research-based pharmaceutical companies:

• What will we do to ensure our independence?
• Will any funding arrangements be perceived as inappropriate? Why?
• How will any funding we receive affect our sustainability?
• Who in our organisation will manage our relationship(s) with research-based pharmaceutical companies?
• What legal advice do we need to obtain before written agreements are signed?
• How will we handle medical and scientific information that we may receive? Can we establish or involve medical advisors to our organisation?
• How will we publicly acknowledge our relationships with pharmaceutical companies?

Many health consumer organisations will formulate a policy or a framework for interaction on working with pharmaceutical companies that addresses these issues.

Questions for pharmaceutical companies

• Which department(s) in our company will be involved in relationships with health consumer organisations?
• What internal processes need to be followed before the relationships can be confirmed and formalised?
• Is our commitment to be long or short term?
• Will the collaboration deliver on either/both of the following:
  • contribute to enhancing the quality use of medicines
  • improve patient welfare or outcomes

Consider the International Alliance of Patients Organizations (IAPO’s) two key documents that address issues of transparency and independence:

• ‘Framework for interaction’
• ‘Project agreement’