The ACCC is proposing to authorise changes to the Generic Medicines Industry Association’s Code of Practice, to improve transparency between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) proposes to grant conditional authorisation, for three years, to the second edition of the Generic Medicines Industry Association’s (GMiA) Code of Practice. The Code is intended to provide a formal system of self-regulation for the supply of generic medicines.
Changes to the code will help regulate relationships within the industry, according to ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel.
“While the ACCC is proposing to grant authorisation, this is subject to conditions to provide greater transparency around the relationship between the manufacturers of generic medicines and pharmacists,” Mr Samuel said.
“Increasing transparency around the provision of non-price benefits, such as hospitality, entertainment, gifts and loyalty programs, by pharmaceutical companies will ensure these arrangements are subject to public and professional scrutiny,” Mr Samuel added.
Among the proposed changes to the Code is the extension of public reporting requirements to apply to events hosted by pharmaceutical companies for pharmacists. Currently these requirements only apply to the hospitality and entertainment provided for medical practitioners. A second proposed change is for pharmacists to provide high-level disclosure around the nature and value of the gifts and other non-price incentives given to them by manufacturers as an incentive stock a particular brand of product.
The GMiA Code is newly developed and as such the ACCC is proposing to review the authorisation after three years. At this time the GMiA must demonstrate how the Code has been enforced and how effective it has been in regulating member behaviour in the areas governed by the Code.
