poledriver
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GlaxoSmithKline spent $2.5 million funding overseas trips, speaking fees and donations for doctors
THE world's second biggest drug company GlaxoSmithKline spent $2.5 million funding overseas trips, speaking fees and donations for doctors last year.
The insight into the medical gravy train comes as the Australian Medical Association warns doctors reputations could be compromised if drug companies push ahead with plans to name the individual doctors who receive money from big pharma.
Australian Medical Association president Dr Steve Hambleton says while it is inevitable medicine companies will reveal the amount they pay individual doctors "it matters how we do it so reputations are not disturbed".
"Our primary concern is that patients remain confident doctors are working in their best interests and not someone elses," he said.
The size of the GSK medical gravy train increased by $300,000 in 2012 compared to 2011 when the company spent $2.2 million on doctors.
The company spent almost $800,000 sending doctors to domestic and overseas medical conferences, another $890,000 on consultancy and speaking fees to doctors who worked on the company's advisory boards or gave speeches at medical conferences.
A further $843,000 was spent sponsoring or in donations to hospitals or medical groups nominated by doctors who refused to take personal financial benefit from drug company fees.
The figures show spending on trips to medical conferences rose by $511,000 in 2012 and speaking fees increased by $517,000 while donations to hospitals fell by $750,000 compared to 2011.
GSK wants to take its disclosure further by revealing the names of individual doctors who receive the money.
"We fully support greater transparency around payments and I am working with the Medicines Australia Transparency Working Group chartered with finding a solution to individual payment disclosure,"
GSK general manager Geoff McDonald says.
For several years medicine companies have been required by the industry's Code of Conduct to publish information about the $70-80 million a year they spend on around 36,000 educational events for doctors each year.
Many of these functions include meals in top restaurants or five star hotels where drug companies spruik their medicines.
From January this year all major pharmaceutical companies were required to begin tallying up how much in aggregate they pay doctors for working on advisory boards, attending medical conferences and giving speeches.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission wants companies to start revealing how much they pay individual doctors within two years.
Drug companies will begin discussions about how to do this in June.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/com...rs/story-fnda1bsz-1226608685010#ixzz2OpVZhEUo
THE world's second biggest drug company GlaxoSmithKline spent $2.5 million funding overseas trips, speaking fees and donations for doctors last year.
The insight into the medical gravy train comes as the Australian Medical Association warns doctors reputations could be compromised if drug companies push ahead with plans to name the individual doctors who receive money from big pharma.
Australian Medical Association president Dr Steve Hambleton says while it is inevitable medicine companies will reveal the amount they pay individual doctors "it matters how we do it so reputations are not disturbed".
"Our primary concern is that patients remain confident doctors are working in their best interests and not someone elses," he said.
The size of the GSK medical gravy train increased by $300,000 in 2012 compared to 2011 when the company spent $2.2 million on doctors.
The company spent almost $800,000 sending doctors to domestic and overseas medical conferences, another $890,000 on consultancy and speaking fees to doctors who worked on the company's advisory boards or gave speeches at medical conferences.
A further $843,000 was spent sponsoring or in donations to hospitals or medical groups nominated by doctors who refused to take personal financial benefit from drug company fees.
The figures show spending on trips to medical conferences rose by $511,000 in 2012 and speaking fees increased by $517,000 while donations to hospitals fell by $750,000 compared to 2011.
GSK wants to take its disclosure further by revealing the names of individual doctors who receive the money.
"We fully support greater transparency around payments and I am working with the Medicines Australia Transparency Working Group chartered with finding a solution to individual payment disclosure,"
GSK general manager Geoff McDonald says.
For several years medicine companies have been required by the industry's Code of Conduct to publish information about the $70-80 million a year they spend on around 36,000 educational events for doctors each year.
Many of these functions include meals in top restaurants or five star hotels where drug companies spruik their medicines.
From January this year all major pharmaceutical companies were required to begin tallying up how much in aggregate they pay doctors for working on advisory boards, attending medical conferences and giving speeches.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission wants companies to start revealing how much they pay individual doctors within two years.
Drug companies will begin discussions about how to do this in June.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/com...rs/story-fnda1bsz-1226608685010#ixzz2OpVZhEUo
