According to this article in The Australian, Medicines Australia is considering loosening its Code of Ethics, which sounds similar to the PhRMA Code. From the article:
- They're asking doctors' groups, consumers and the industry whether the new rules work and what they would change if given the chance.
At least one group, the AMA, will be asking Medicines Australia to relax the hospitality rules. Association president Dr Mukesh Haikerwal agrees changes were necessary to moderate the activities of some companies and address the perception of bias in GP prescribing. But he says the crackdown on what kind of food served to doctors is too stringent and has made them less likely to take advantage of pharmaceutical-sponsored education. "We are concerned the pendulum has swung a little bit too far," he says.
Some even say, "the new code has driven some practices underground and resulted in even more subtle levels of marketing such as an increase in disease awareness campaigns. " This should prove to be a lively debate—albeit not one we're likely to see here in the U.S. any time soon.
