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	The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 270 No 7230 p15 4 January 2003	This page Reprint Photocopy
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Branch meetings

Sponsorship bias?

From Dr C. F. Green, MRPharmS

Having recently attended two meetings of a local branch in my area, I am concerned about the manner in which the content of the meeting was biased towards the pharmaceutical company sponsoring the evening. The first occasion was reasonably subtle but in the second, the speaker stood at the front of the room, next to the large stand displaying the sponsor's products and the company representative sat in the front row of the audience. The presentation was about an update of some therapeutics guidelines and was well delivered by the speaker. Although the first 20 minutes covered an update of a change in guidelines, the last 20 minutes concentrated on one product alone, which happened to be the product emblazoned across the stand next to him.

I am not against company sponsorship of local branch meetings and understand that the meetings may not happen without this sponsorship, and this is not a criticism of the local branch committee. However, I do not believe that a local branch meeting is a suitable forum for presentations that are clearly influenced by sponsorship and the presence of company representatives.

I am surprised that the current guidelines for local branch meetings are inadequate with regard to this issue and would propose that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society addresses this issue as a matter of principle. Its guidelines should state where promotional material may be sited and should contain advice to speakers on content, perhaps in the format of a standard letter. With pharmacist prescribing just around the corner and an ever increasing number of pharmacists having a direct influence on prescribers and prescribing policy, it is important that the balance of information presented at independent events such as local branch meetings is impartial and well balanced.

Chris Green
Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Clinical Services
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust

JEAN-PIERRE MOSER, head of public relations and membership, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, replies:

Branches may wish to accept sponsorship from commercial companies in the health care sector that are prepared to contribute to the cost of meetings in exchange for an opportunity to promote their products or services at the meeting. This is acceptable provided that branches follow the practice of making it plain to attendees that the meeting has been sponsored and ensure that any promotional material is clearly identified as such. In our experience, branches make every effort to ensure that the educational content of their meetings is both balanced and factual.

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