Most UK healthcare professionals back greater transparency moves by pharma

The vast majority of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and hospital specialists in the UK agree that payments from pharmaceutical companies to individual healthcare professionals should be transparent, according to new research by leading research consultancy ComRes.

A poll of more than 500 UK healthcare professionals (HCPs), carried out on behalf of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), shows that 87% believe payments from pharmaceutical companies to individually named healthcare professionals should be transparent, with around two thirds (64%) saying that this information should be publicly declared. A further two thirds (64%) believe this should be declared on a single, publicly searchable, central database.

The findings come just weeks before the ABPI publishes details of payments and benefits in kind made to UK HCPs and healthcare organisations (HCOs) on an online, publicly searchable database. These findings are in line with results of a similar survey conducted last year – highlighting healthcare professionals’ continued support for greater transparency through initiatives such as the ABPI’s.