Working Parties :

Physicians and the pharmaceutical industry

Meetings between the Royal College of Physicians and representatives of the UK pharmaceutical industry have led the College to convene a working party to examine relationships between the two sides, particularly any political, economic, commercial, organisational, professional and public barriers to creating an ideal relationship between them.  The overwhelming principle underpinning this initiative is to improve patient care.

The Physicians and the Pharmaceutical Industry working party (the working party) was convened in September 2007, and will be launched at the College on Wednesday 5th December.  The working party is chaired by Dr Richard Horton, Editor in Chief, The Lancet.  Membership comprises representatives of the UK pharmaceutical industry, members of the medical and pharmaceutical professions, and patient and lay. 

Working party meetings will continue until June 2008; the initiative will culminate in publication of a report towards the end of 2008.  Evidence gathering will follow the methodology developed by the College in relation to its work on medical professionalism, namely oral evidence-taking sessions, and the invitation to send in written evidence against a series of questions. 

You are invited to contribute to the debate by answering the questions that the working party is interested in and by returning them to the College by 31 March 2008. 

For more information about the launch please contact Linda Cuthbertson at the RCP on 020 7935 1174 x 254 or on Linda.cuthbertson@rcplondon.ac.uk

All other enquiries, including the submission of written responses, should be directed to Dr Susan Shepherd, 020 7935 1174 x 517 or pharma@rcplondon.ac.uk

 

 

This page last updated on December 10, 2007