European Commission proposals criticised in The Lancet

The European Commission's proposals to give the pharmaceutical industry a greater role in providing information to patients have been described in The Lancet's editorial as 'effectively DTCA under a different name.'

The Lancet editorial highlights the 'obvious financial conflicts of interest' and points out that companies will only be sanctioned retrospectively and in the event of 'serious and repeated' offences.

A recent consultation by the EC showed that the proposals lack support from health care professionals, patient organisations, regulators, research organisations, consumer organisations and social insurance organisations. The fact that the proposals are still seeing the light of day can maybe be put down to the fact that the EC directorate making the proposals is the Directorate General of Enterprise and Industry operating on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies - one of only two categories that actually supported the proposals.