MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, 26 July 2005
Why Is the Government Not Acting?
“Reports that multiple breaches of the drug industry’s own code of conduct have been virtually ignored by the ‘self regulatory’ body mean that the industry will continue to mislead patients and doctors about their new and expensive drugs and maintain their huge profits," said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors Reform Society
“The industry’s own Code of Conduct committee has found that a variety of companies have been in breach of the code in advertising on doctors’ prescribing software packages and the only punishment delivered has been to tell them ‘don’t do it again’”, said Dr Woodruff.
“The downside of this is that the huge and growing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) budget will continue to blow out because the Government will not control the extremely effective and efficient drug industry marketers,” said Dr Woodruff. “That means our patients will pay the price as the Government reacts by reducing the number of drugs that the PBS subsidises and making patients pay more for drugs.”
“It’s time the Government stopped complaining about the increasing cost of the PBS, and instead addressed one of the real and preventable causes of the PBS blowout, the $1 billion drug company marketing ($30,000 per doctor per year).”
Dr Tim Woodruff
President
Doctors Reform Society
|
Dr Peter Davoren Queensland President Doctors Reform Society
|
For further information please contact the Doctors Reform Society during business hours
Back to Media Releases
[ Doctors Reform Society of Australia home page]
[ About DRS ] [ Search ] [ What's New ]
[ Policies ] [ Media Releases ] [ Published Letters ]
[ Online articles ]
[ New Doctor: Journal of the DRS ]
[ Discussion Board ] [ Contacting DRS ] [ Joining DRS ] [ Links ]