Sigma Pharmaceuticals came under fire for a 10-day Mediterranean cruise they ran for doctors and pharmacists in October this year, with complainants arguing that the cruise breached Medicines Australia's code of conduct.
Sigma, which is not a member of Medicines Australia, declined a request to appear before the independent code complaint panel and the issue was then referred to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for adjudication. The TGA letter of marketing approval requires companies to meet the Medicines Australia code of conduct which, in section 6.2, states that "hospitality offered by companies to health care professionals must be secondary to the educational content."
Sigma argued that the cruise didn't fit the criteria of "hospitality provided" because attendees were not subsidised,...
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