Conflict of interest for Australian medical profession, serving Pharma and govt

Drug companies have long co-opted the top levels of Australia's medical profession, the key opinion leaders, to work as paid consultants or join company advisory boards. Finding independent experts to sit on important government committees is thus becoming increasingly difficult as so many doctors have a conflict of interest.

A recent Australian newspaper article alleged that "doctors with financial ties to drug companies are now virtually ubiquitous, they write guidelines which dictate how thousands of patients are treated, speak to the media and teach other doctors at presentations financed by drug companies. Many are respected heads of patient groups, foundations and professional bodies, or control hospital pharmacy lists where decisions to favour one drug involve many thousands of taxpayer dollars. A few spend weeks, sometimes months, away on drug company business whilst paid by the taxpayer for their work in universities and hospitals."

Martin Tattersall, for the past decade chairman of the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee which decides what pharmaceutical products are allowed into the country, needs experts to evaluate the large number annually submitted for approval. Prof Tattersall, a cancer specialist, also has a very big problem in carrying out this duty, he highlighted at a recent Canberra meeting with 11 other heads of crucial committees advising the federal government on drugs and medical devices, stating: "I think I would be right in saying that almost every chairperson present has raised it as a common issue. The buying of key opinion leaders is so overt these days," he alleged, adding that "greater transparency is required and I suggest doctors have their conflict of interests listed in waiting rooms or on letterheads. It should be no different from the requirement on financial planners to disclose their interests."