ACCC proposes to strengthen new individual reporting in Australian pharmaceutical code

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is proposing to grant conditional authorization to edition 18 of trade group Medicines Australia’s Code of Conduct for five years. The Code sets the standards for the marketing and promotion of prescription pharmaceutical products in Australia by member companies.

The issue of individual disclosure has been a matter of debate for a number of years. When authorizing edition 17 of the Code in 2012, the ACCC made clear that it expected Medicines Australia to complete its review of transparency and introduce greater disclosure around sponsorship and fees paid to individual doctors.

In edition 18, Medicines Australia has proposed a new reporting regime which requires reporting of ‘transfers of value’ (such as speaking fees, advisory board fees or sponsorship to attend a conference) made to individual health care professionals, subject to the health care professional’s consent.