Drug starter packs and freebie programs have come under fire in the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct review, with calls to abandon both.
Leading haematologist and bioethicist Associate Professor Ian Kerridge, and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians strongly condemned tactics used by pharmaceutical companies to influence GPs’ prescribing practices in submissions to the review.
Many GPs welcome starter packs in order to test the tolerability of new treatments and provide drugs such as antibiotics after hours.
Product familiarisation programs are sometimes seen as a way of getting patients early access to approved first-in-class drugs.
However, the RACP said such schemes “create brand loyalty and provide no guarantee of continuity”.
The calls come as 25,000 atrial fibrillation patients prescribed the new...
The content on this site is available to Australian Registered Health Practitioners only. Please login or register for access.