Is it okay with you that your doctor is on the payroll of a pharmaceutical company?

A new research says that majority of Australians approve of pharmaceutical companies supporting their doctors, and the healthcare system in general. But here’s the catch: these arrangements should be declared openly. Apparently, transparency is enough to neutralized any negative reservation of Aussies against this set up.

In an online survey of 1,007 Australians aged between 18 and 64 years old conducted this month by Galaxy Research, results showed people were concerned that pharmaceutical sponsorship of healthcare professionals might compromise a doctor’s integrity (54%) or lead to patients not receiving the best medicine (52%).

The biggest concern (72%) was for the potential for such payments to influence the advice that doctors give to patients.

While most Australians (90%) initially have negative views about pharmaceutical companies paying fees to healthcare professionals, these views soften when people are given further information about the purpose of the funding.

The majority of respondents (79%) approved of pharmaceutical companies helping to fund medical research programs or clinical education projects (71%). Overall, 82 per cent of respondents, or two out of three Aussies, approved of pharmaceutical companies funding some aspect of the health system when the purpose of the funding is explained.

The survey was commissioned by GlaxoSmithkline (GSK) Australia, the local arm of the world’s third biggest pharmaceutical company, which understandbly has a strong interests in courting public opinion on the financial relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical companies.

Deborah Waterhouse, the General Manager of GSK Australia, said the main findings of the survey confirmed community expectations for greater transparency in the relationships between pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare professionals.

The issue of healthcare professional sponsorships is currently being considered by the industry body for Australian pharmaceutical companies – Medicines Australia – as it conducts an industry-wide review of the current Code of Conduct for the marketing of pharmaceuticals.

In June 2011, GSK became the first pharmaceutical manufacturer in Australia to publicly disclose the overall amount it spends on healthcare professional sponsorships.

“We’ve been a strong advocate for increased transparency in regard to relationships between manufacturers and healthcare professionals,” said Waterhouse.

“We think increased transparency will increase confidence among consumers and help put the benefits of these arrangements in context. The results from the survey seem to suggest that our position on this topic is consistent with community expectations."

GSK is due to disclose its annualised payment to Australian healthcare professionals for the calendar year of 2011 later in February 2012. According to the Australian Trade Commission, it is also set to invest AU$60 million to boost its manufacturing capability in Australia which will "significantly" expand operations at its manufacturing site in Boronia, Victoria. The investment will also be to support continued research collaboration with the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

From its base in Australia, GSK manufactures a range of pharmaceutical products utilising advanced blow-fill-seal (BFS) technology. The Boronia site is the company's largest BFS processing unit globally and its production of antiseptic, sterile BFS containers is expected to double with this latest investment.

GSK's investment will also create a pilot-scale industrial facility to develop new powder and sterile liquid pharmaceutical products, enhance skills development, and facilitate technology transfer across Australia's pharmaceutical industry.