WE CAN’T BE BOTHERED ORGANISING A WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE!- FRANKLY THE “BMJ NEWS” DO A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN WE COULD EVER DO!
Launch of the NFL website in the UK
This has been long over due! We hope that this will become a focus for all those who are concerned about the existing relationship between the professions and the Pharmaceutical Industry. We hope that it will be good humored but this will not deflect us from the seeking change. Realistically it is unlikely that he Industry will be forced to restructure its operations due to the enormous political power it exerts in the UK. Our pragmatic solution, therefore, is one of complete probity through transparency. We believe that we have widespread professional and public support for a robust register of all contact, hospitality and payments between the health professions and the Industry.
PS Please excuse the typos and spelling. The writers years in remedial English did him little good !
The "new" APBI Code of Practice -
We need some time to digest this but it seems that the industry are listening and there is much to commend within the new Code. Issues around reporting of adverse effects, hospitality, and sponsorship of charities and reporting of breaches have been partly addressed. There is no enforcement of the code nor finical censor , however , and only time will tell if a significant cultural change will come. The industry must return to it roots in research and discard is maligned obsession with spin and marketing. It is time for our professional bodies in the GMC to address the other part of the equation- the conduct of doctors.
ASCOT - Smoke and Mirrors
The ASCOT BPLA Study. Is this really a world shaker or more spin and hype. We fear the later – the study merely suggests that lowering Blood Pressure reduces the risk from vascular events. Thats fine also long as you don’t mind polypharmacy and NNTs that might be better suited to the national lottery. A colleague has conducted an interesting Summary We have complained to the ABPI about the usual misrepresentation of data. Thanks again to the Lancet for using is position to promote such important work.
ASCOT ReviewAre the British Hypertension Society all that they seem?
The British Hypertension Society ( BHS ). This illustrious charity promotes Hypertension and treatments. Laudable stuff indeed. They recently changed their published guidelines that they then sent to 20 000 GPs on the request of MSD who sell COZAAR. Oddly enough the ACE II – which COZAAR is one of - were placed before Traditional ACE differing from the guidelines published in the BMJ. Heh- want to know something else – 75% of the sponsors and “friends” of the Society also have a ACE II on the market. Apparently this was an "awful" mistake but we have emails that show that BHS approved MSD requests. This "awful" mistake will likely to cost the NHS millions. Check out the authors conflicts of interest.
“All authors have received honorariums from a number of pharmaceutical companies for lectures and consultancy, and research grant support for clinical trials from the pharmaceutical industry. " But this won't effect the advice - honest
Even odder. We have written 3 times requesting transparency and declaration of all these payments. Guess what – they have refused.
For some extra pens can anyone spot the link between the ASCOT and BHS. Interesting is it! We suggest that you boycott all BHS material – which is generally obscured by Pharma Logos anyway.