Doctors continue to receive updates on medicines

Medicines Australia member companies continued to ensure healthcare professionals were kept up to date with the latest information about prescription medicines in the second half of 2008.

Member companies provided or sponsored 18,060 seminars, conferences, symposia or other educational events for healthcare professionals during the six-month period.

Details of those events were published today on the Medicines Australia website.

Medicines Australia chief executive Ian Chalmers said member companies remained committed to providing healthcare professionals with balanced and accurate information about medicines.

“Pharmaceutical companies have an obligation to patients to ensure doctors have the latest information about prescription medicines,” Mr Chalmers said.

“Healthcare decisions affecting patients must be informed by dialogue between those who make medicines and those who prescribe them. That’s vital for Australian patients.

“Patients in Australia rightly expect to be treated by doctors who have access to the latest information about prescription medicines.

“These events ensure healthcare professionals know about new medicines and how they should be used. The information which companies provide has to be accurate and balanced, and has to be entirely consistent with product information approved by the TGA.

“Any educational event provided or sponsored by Medicines Australia member companies is subject to a strict Code of Conduct, which is very clear. Gifts to doctors are banned; entertainment is banned; lavish hospitality is banned.”

More than 99.9 per cent of educational events provided or sponsored by member companies in 2007-08 were compliant with the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct.

–ENDS–

Contact Person:

Jamie Nicholson
Media Communications Manager
Phone: 0419 220 293
Email:
 Jamie.Nicholson@medicinesaustralia.com.au