The lack of balance in your article, Revealed:
how big pharma funds trials for the drugs you are prescribed (News, April 13), is disappointing. NHS Scotland's £1.2 billion budget for medicines represents around 10% of its total budget. An Audit Scotland report in January 2013 highlighted that per capita spending on medicines in the UK is around 50% lower than in France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain, and is falling in real terms. This goes against the perception that there is a lucrative pot of money available for the industry.
Healthcare professionals and commercial organisations regularly work together in developing innovative treatments, sharing good clinical practice and so on. It is appropriate that healthcare professionals are fairly compensated. Relationships adhere to the strict Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry code of practice.
The industry recently disclosed aggregate payments made in 2013 to healthcare professionals. This is an interim step towards individual healthcare professional disclosures, which will come into effect in 2016.
Andrew Powrie-Smith
Director, ABPI Scotland
Edinburgh
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