If we want to know why it’s so important to have transparency around how drugs are marketed to doctors, we need look no further than the opioid overdose crisis that killed nearly 4,000 Canadians last year.
A large percentage of those who are addicted to opioids got hooked through prescriptions from their physicians, who may have received misinformation about the drugs from manufacturers.
Indeed, in 2007 Purdue Pharma, the maker of one such drug, OxyContin, pleaded guilty in the United States to misleading American doctors and patients about its highly addictive nature.
That’s why it is so alarming that months after taking office the Ford government has yet to enact regulations that would bring into force the Health Sector Transparency Act passed by the previous Liberal government.
It should quit stalling.
The legislation would compel drug companies and those that manufacture medical devices to publicly report cash payments, free dinners, trips and other benefits they dole out to doctors, dentists and pharmacists.
Health professionals can claim all they want that they are not influenced by those gifts and fees. But the very fact the drug companies dish them out so lavishly suggests otherwise. Indeed, Purdue alone paid Canadian doctors $2 million in 2016 for services rendered. And in 2017, 10 of Canada’s largest drug companies together paid Canadian doctors nearly $50 million.
So why the delay? A spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott says the government is taking time to review the legislation and consult with its “partners in health care.”
It would have been fair enough to say that in July, when the government had just taken office. But we’re now in November. Further delays on such urgent legislation are cause for concern that the government may be bowing to pressure from drug companies, which say the legislation imposes a “regulatory burden” on them.
Hogwash. The drug companies know very well how much money they are doling out and to whom. They need only make it public as they are required to do in so many other countries, such as the United States.
It’s past time to shed light on these questionable practices. The government should delay no longer in bringing the law into force.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/11/06/pass-transparency-law.html
Recent Comments
I feel that is among the so much significant info for me. And i am satisfied studying your article. However should commentary on some basic issues, The site style is ideal, the articles is in reality excellent : D. Excellent activity, cheers
Great blog here! Also your site loads up very fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol
Greetings, have tried to subscribe to this websites rss feed but I am having a bit of a problem. Can anyone kindly tell me what to do?’
I favored your idea there, I tell you blogs are so helpful sometimes like looking into people’s private life’s and work.At times this world has too much information to grasp. Every new comment wonderful in its own right.
Great resources and tips for families here.
These stories are so important.
Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!
I wish I could craft such articles as this. Thank you very much.
You are not right. I am assured. I can prove it. Write to me in PM, we will talk.
I simply could not leave your site before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the usual info a person supply in your visitors? Is going to be back often to inspect new posts
What made you first develop an interest in this topic?
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!
This information is very important and you’ll need to know this when you constructor your own photo voltaic panel.
Our communities really need to deal with this.
Thank you pertaining to sharing the following great subject matter on your website. I ran into it on google. I am going to check to come back after you publish additional aricles.
This write-up was genuinely useful, addressing the key points that most other articles tend to miss and it answered questions I did not even know I had going in.
This article was perfectly timed, connecting ideas in a way that built understanding progressively. The structure made it very easy to absorb the information without feeling rushed.
Its just like you read my thoughts! It’s like reading about my family.
Like the way you’ve outlined things. Easy to follow. Not cluttered.