End The Free Lunch For Doctors: Greens

Media Release, 6 May 2008  

“Pharmaceutical companies should be banned from providing gifts to doctors,” said Greens MLC Giz Watson.

Ms Watson will move an amendment to the Medical Practitioners Bill to prevent doctors from receiving gifts from pharmaceutical companies.

“We need to put an end to this practice. Studies¹ have shown that gift-giving by pharmaceutical companies, including free meals, affects prescription decisions,” said Ms Watson.

‘Education events’ held in the second half of last year and funded by pharmaceutical companies included meals and drinks at:

• Acqua Viva on the Swan ($1887 for 25 doctors)
• Conversation Indigo Restaurant in Geraldton ($1484 for 17 GPs)
• Fraser’s restaurant ($2830 for 24 doctors, including travel for one participant)
• Parmelia Hilton ($7,957 for 73 GPs)

According to Medicines Australia, the representative body for pharmaceutical companies, more than $16 million was spent by its members on hospitality for doctors from July-December 2007.

1 Brennan et al, ‘Health Industry Practices That Create Conflicts of Interest’, Journal of the American Medical Association, 295(4): 429-433. January 2006.

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