The Canadian Press
Allison Jones
TORONTO–Ontario is considering mandating the public disclosure of any payments private drug companies make to doctors–a move that would make it the first province to have such a requirement.
The province has started consulting with patient groups, health-care providers, and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries about the regulations that govern such payments.
Patients in the United States, Australia, and some European countries already can go online to see how much money their health-care providers have received from pharmaceutical companies.
Ten major pharmaceutical companies released data last month showing they had paid nearly $50 million to Canadian health-care professionals and organizations last year.
Payments from pharmaceutical companies to health-care providers can raise concerns about conflicts of interest in the prescribing and promotion of certain drugs.
There already are some restrictions in Ontario on the types of benefits that can be received, but disclosure isn’t always required.
It currently is a conflict of interest under the Medicine Act for a doctor to receive benefits from a supplier of medical goods or services, except for consultation fees.
Shawn Whatley, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said yesterday that any changes to disclosure rules “should be applied to all health-care professionals to ensure doctors are on a level playing field and not disadvantaged by new regulations.”
A policy from the regulatory body for doctors in the province says physicians must not accept compensation from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries in exchange for meeting with promotional representatives, and they must not accept personal gifts.
They can, however, accept items such as teaching aids that benefit patients, under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s policy.
They also can accept drug samples.
Doctors are allowed to accept compensation at “fair market value” for presenting at industry-supported continuing education events, sitting on advisory or consultation boards, and for participating in industry research.
