Australia's physicians reassured over privacy

In an open letter published in the Australian Doctor and Medical Observer, Ian Chalmers, chief executive of Medicines Australia, the drug industry group, has assured doctors that the disclosure of educational event information will not extend to naming attendees.

Under Australian Competition and Consumer Commission rules, the drug industry group must publish twice a year on its web site the details of hospitality events to which health care professionals are invited. The first of these is due before the end of March.

"The names of individuals have not been provided to Medicines Australia and will not be published on our web site," Mr Chalmers said. He added that "it is important for medical practitioners to be assured that the publication of these reports does not imply that the provision of timely information by pharmaceutical companies to the profession about what's new in medicines is in any way improper."