Disclosure Australia provides a searchable database of payments and transfers of value made to healthcare professionals by Medicines Australia member companies.

Medicines Australia is a strong advocate for transparency of payments and other transfers of value provided by the Australian medicines industry to health consumer organisations and healthcare professionals. The purpose of disclosure of payments and other activities is to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to this endeavour.

The innovative Australian medicines industry is putting patients first by showing the value of industry partnerships and taking the lead to boost transparency. The information we provide helps Australian consumers to better understand the nature and extent of activities our members support in the interest of increasing the quality use of medicines, advancing patient care and supporting our local communities.

Australian health consumers can use this database to search for reports on payments and transfers of value made to Australian healthcare professionals - for their doctor, nurse, pharmacist, psychologist, optometrist, physiotherapist, dentist, podiatrist or nutritionist/dietician.

WHO IS MEDICINES AUSTRALIA AND WHAT IS THE CODE OF CONDUCT?

Medicines Australia represents the discovery-driven pharmaceutical industry in Australia. Our member companies invent, manufacture and supply innovative medicines and vaccines to the Australian community. More information on what we do, is on our website here.

Medicines Australia has a Code of Conduct, and each of its members abide by that Code. This Code sets the standards for the ethical marketing and promotion of prescription pharmaceutical products in Australia. It complements the legislation requirements of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations and the Therapeutic Goods Act, and is a successful example of industry self-regulation. The Code includes requirements for reporting of payments and benefits to healthcare professionals. More information on the Code, is on our website here.

HOW DO HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS PROVIDE CONSENT TO PUBLISH THIS DATA?

Since 2015, all Medicines Australia member companies have been required to collect information about Australian healthcare professionals who receive payments or educational support through airfares, accommodation or registration fees. Originally this reporting was with each healthcare professional's consent, with the option to opt out of having this data publicly reported.

In 2016, the Medicines Australia Code made reporting of these payments to healthcare professionals compulsory for member companies after establishing the reasonable expectation of healthcare professionals of the reporting process.

Healthcare professionals are given the opportunity to verify the data before it is published, allowing them to make changes to ensure accuracy. The only way healthcare professionals can opt out of having this information reported is to decline the payment or transfer of value.

From 2019, this information has been presented in a consolidated database, administered by Medicines Australia. Known as Disclosure Australia, this database was developed in consultation with the ACCC to ensure the information is displayed in a consistent and easily searchable format.

HOW IS MEDICINES AUSTRALIA PROTECTING THE PRIVACY OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS?

Medicines Australia ensures healthcare professionals' personal information is managed consistent with Australia's Privacy law.

Medicines Australia received advice that it was inconsistent with the Privacy Act to utilise the Australian Healthcare Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA) registration number as a unique identifier for the purposes of this searchable database, and therefore AHPRA numbers are not captured or used in this context.

A copy of the Privacy Statement can be found here: https://medicinesaustralia.com.au/about-us/legal/privacy/

WHAT IS BEING REPORTED?

Payments to healthcare professionals can usually be classified as a service fee, or support to participate in medical education through paying for travel and accommodation to attend an educational meeting, or a registration fee to attend a conference.

The Code requires reporting the following types of payments and transfers of value:

• Fees paid to healthcare professionals (or to their employer or a third party organisation) for:
• Speaking at an educational meeting or event;
• Consulting services;
• Attendance at an Advisory Board meeting;
• Participating in market research where the identity of the healthcare professional is known to the company.
• Airfares for travel both within and outside Australia
• Accommodation provided whether in Australia or another country
• Registration fees to enable attendance at an educational meeting

HOW DO I INTERPRET THE INFORMATION?

Member companies are required to report payments and transfers of value to healthcare professionals individually, that is, by the healthcare professional's name.

Companies are required to report these payments or transfers of value using a prescribed template that details the healthcare professional's name and principal practice address; the date and description of the event or provision of service; and whether the payment was made to the healthcare professional, their employer or a third party.

Importantly, companies must include the amount of the payment or transfer of value, subdivided into (where relevant) registration fees, air travel and accommodation, and fees for service. All payments and transfers of value are exclusive of GST.

I CAN'T SEE RECORDS FOR MY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL

There are several reasons why there may be no data is available for your healthcare professional. Not all healthcare professionals engage with the pharmaceutical industry, and if they haven't had an interaction with a Medicines Australia member company their name will not appear in this database. Also, , it is not mandatory for non-members to report payment to healthcare professionals. So, if your doctor received support or a payment from a company that is not a member, you will not find this information here. If you wish to know which pharmaceutical companies are members, click here. You can also ask your doctor if they have received any financial support from a company to attend an educational meeting or have been a member of a company Advisory Board.

WHEN DO PAYMENTS GET REPORTED?

Payments will be reported every six months, with two reports each year covering May to October and November to April. Compiling and verifying this data is complicated and time consuming. Companies take their responsibility for the accuracy of this information seriously and seek to provide healthcare professionals a reasonable time frame to verify the data before it is published. Therefore, new data will be published in February and August of each year. Reports will be available for three years after publication.

MY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL IS DOING RESEARCH ON A PARTICULAR MEDICINE, WHY CAN'T I SEE THIS IN THE REPORTS?

The Medicines Australia Code of Conduct does not cover payments for clinical research, as these are paid to the institution, hospital or clinic where the research is being done, not to individual healthcare professionals.

IF A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL HAS MANY FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

While each healthcare professional will be different, they may have many contacts with the pharmaceutical industry because of their specialist knowledge or skills. We encourage you to ask your healthcare professional if you would like to know more about their relationships with various companies and the benefits to their patients' health and their own expertise.