Australian Pharma's code compliance

The Australian research-based pharmaceutical industry is demonstrating a high level of compliance with the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct with regard to educational events sponsored by drugmakers. The trade group revised its code governing drugmakers' relationships with physicians, which requires a greater level of detail about sector-sponsored functions, including the cost and the type of hospitality provided, in 2006.

Meantime, an independent monitoring and audit process of 15,836 educational events sponsored or provided by pharmaceutical companies has found that all but 21 fully comply with the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct. The 21 events identified by the Code Monitoring Committee as potentially breaching the Code have been referred to the independent Code of Conduct Committee for a final determination.

Medicines Australia chief executive Ian Chalmers noted that the half-yearly report of member companies' educational events organized for health care professionals showed that companies were undertaking those events in an ethical manner.