Pharmaceutical companies in the UK will have to declare the amount of money paid to its healthcare professionals who act as ‘consultants’ or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) under proposed new rules.
The plans are in line with a general shift towards greater transparency, with the US operations of GSK, Lilly and Pfizer leading the way with voluntary declaration of fees to doctors.
The UK pharma industry’s self regulatory body the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) is now undertaking a thorough review of rules relating to payments and gifts to doctors.
It just released a consultation document outlining the proposals for greater transparency, which it hopes will draw a line under allegations of undue influence on doctors.
The proposals would amend Clause 20 of the Code of Practice, and would require the sums of money paid to individuals as fees for service to be made public.
The number of consultants and the average payment made to them will also have to be declared, but the identity of the individuals will not have to be disclosed.
Similar changes are proposed for declarations of sponsorship to attend meetings (Clause 19) and in relation to payments to organisations (Clause 18).
The final proposals are expected to come before the ABPI Half-Yearly General Meeting on 2 November, with a view to approval by member companies. If approved, the new Code of Practice would come into effect on 1 January 2011, but with a transitional period before becoming fully operative on 1 May 2011. A longer transitional period is proposed in relation to declaration of payments.
The proposals have been sent to the MHRA, the British Medical Association (BMA), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) and The Royal College of Nursing.
The full consultation can be accessed here.
Comments should be sent to consultations@pmcpa.org.uk or the director at Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, 12 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DY.
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