Pharmaceutical companies obliged to publish the data on cooperation with medical doctors – Gifting forbidden

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The development of new drugs will be possible through the sharing of clinical practices, exchange of information on the influence of new drugs on the changing of therapy protocols and shaping future clinical research, it was said at the press conference on the occasion of the presentation of the Code of Practice on the Promotion of prescription-only medicines to, and interactions with healthcare professionals.

- Regular interaction of the industry with healthcare professionals, institutions and organizations is crucial to acquiring knowledge based on which innovative pharmaceutical companies make efforts to the end of improving therapy and treating patients – said the director of INOVIA Bojan Trkulja.

He said that the first reports on investments in the development of medications, assets given to healthcare institutions for the purpose of education and the expenses of traveling to and staying at experts seminars in the country and abroad will contain last year's data.

- The Code says that it is forbidden to give gifts to healthcare professionals, that the promotional material mustn't cost over EUR 30 and the education seminars must be organized at adequate non-luxury locations – said Trkulja.

According to him, this kind of presentation is a pan-European decision implemented in 33 countries in order to avoid the negative comments on the relations between healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies.