UK Pharma Trade Group Code To Improve Payment Disclosures

Once again, the pharmaceutical industry trade group that represents drugmakers in the UK is inching closer to developing a plan for disclosing payments to physicians. In a statement issued late last week, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry saying its members agreed to make changes to the official code of practice in order to include “greater transparency.” The decision comes after a recent survey showed that 89 percent of 1,055 individuals – including physicians, companies and healthcare organizations - agreed that payments to healthcare professionals should be transparent. Separately, 77 percent responded that payments should be publicly declared and 79 percent believe payments should be accessible on a central, public database. Last year, the ABPI acknowledged a need to disclose payments and began working with medical organizations to develop a system across Europe by 2016. The survey, which was conducted by the Ethical Standards in Health and Life Sciences Group that is run by the Royal College of Physicians of the UK, was undertaken to determine the extent to which there is support for a public database. “For too long, the industry has suffered from a common misunderstanding around the nature of its relationship with healthcare professionals,” ABPI ceo Stephen Whitehead says in a statement. “The changes to the code are part of the industry’s attempt to address this misunderstanding and to enhance transparency around these relationships. W...
Source: Pharmalot - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs