Mônica Bergamo: Bolsonaro government prepares MP to show how much doctors receive from the pharmaceutical industry

The Ministry of Health prepares a set of rules to discipline and give more transparency to the relationship of Brazilian doctors with the pharmaceutical industry. A draft Provisional Measure (MP) has already been written and should be signed in the coming weeks by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

SPOTLIGHT

The initiative is inspired by the so-called Sunshine Act, US legislation that requires publicizing any type of relationship between doctors and manufacturers of medicines, devices or medical supplies.

SPOTLIGHT 2

With it, the government intends to oblige companies to inform any and all relationships with professionals that may constitute conflicts of interest. The data will have to be published on a public platform.

SPOTLIGHT 3

According to the text of the draft, “manufacturers, suppliers, importers, distributors and sellers of medicines, orthotics, prostheses, special materials and hospital equipment” will be required to “disclose information about payments and any benefits granted, directly or by third parties, to physicians, patient associations, collaborators linked to public laboratories that have partnerships for productive development, politically exposed people and public and private health establishments, with or without profit”.

ACCOUNT OPEN

Companies will be required to disclose payments for transportation, food and accommodation expenses for events, courses, seminars, congresses, fairs and “entertainment activities” to which healthcare professionals are invited.

ACCOUNT 2

Payments for services such as scientific research, consulting and lectures should also be publicized, as well as financial donations.

EXAMPLE

The measure has already been adopted in Brazil, but only in Minas Gerais, with rules governed by state legislation.

EXAMPLE 2

In the state, any type of benefit or donation, such as gifts, tickets, registration for events, accommodation, financing of research stages, consultancy and lectures offered to health professionals registered in Minas, as well as to their family members, companions and invited persons , must be reported to the government.

EXAMPLE 3

In addition, all this information is available on a search platform called Declara SUS, which allows the population to check the benefits received by each professional.

BATON

Photographer Sebastião Salgado attended the Amazon Concert, held at Sala São Paulo, in São Paulo, on Friday (22). Photographs of him were shown on a big screen during the performance of the Orquestra Jovem do Estado de São Paulo. The indigenous leader and pre-candidate for federal deputy for PSOL Sonia Guajajara was there. Physician and columnist Sheet Drauzio Varella and his wife, actress Regina Braga, also attended the concert.

_{with BIANKA VIEIRA, KARINA MATIAS and MANOELLA SMITH}