Drug Companies Directed to Reveal Funding Of Doctors' Events

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Australian drug companies have been directed to disclose details of their funding of 'educational' events for doctors. While the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) approved Medicines Australia's voluntary code of conduct on marketing, it insisted on an amendment requiring companies to disclose details of the venue, purpose of the event, the hospitality provided, the number of attendees and the total cost of the function. The information will be made publicly available every six months on a website. ACCC Chairman, Graeme Samuel, told ABC Radio that consumers should be able to decide whether "drug companies are crossing the boundaries of proper ethical behaviour in dealing with the medical profession." Last week it was revealed that Roche spent approximately $A65,000 on a dinner at a top Sydney restaurant for 200 cancer specialists.