GUIDANCE HAS BEEN issued by the Medical Council in order to clarify its position on the relationships between doctors and industry.

It said the guidance provides a list of frequently asked questions clarifying the Council’s existing ethical guidance on doctors’ interactions with pharmaceutical and medical device companies, provided in its Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics.

The document has been developed in consultation with doctors, patient representatives and relevant regulatory bodies and will be issued to all doctors registered to practise medicine in Ireland.

The council said it also provides a resource for patients in “clarifying the standards they can expect from their doctor”.

President of the Medical Council, Professor Kieran Murphy said:

It is important for doctors to keep up-to-date on new product developments, but interactions with pharmaceutical and medical device companies must not affect their ability to provide treatment to patients that is both impartial and based on the best available evidence.

He said that the public needs to be confident that their doctor’s professional opinion is not influenced by marketing or promotional activities.

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