Abstract
Cooperation between innovative pharmaceutical companies and the medical community is a natural and necessary part of the health care system. Sharing knowledge and experience is essential in the process of new drugs and therapies development. Today, however, the image of this cooperation is unclear to the public, and therefore it is impossible to properly assess its value.
All around the world, actions are taken to increase the transparency of these relationships. In some countries, such as the United States and France, legal solutions enforcing full transparency are already in force.
The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), the Polish representative is INFARMA, decided to implement the Code of Transparency to meet the public expectations in this matter. This document is a formal code of conduct that requires all EFPIA member companies and companies which are members of EFPIA member associations to disclose transfers of value to healthcare professionals (HCPs) and healthcare organizations (HCOs). In accordance with the Transparency Code starting from 2016 all INFARMA members, with the knowledge and consent of the medical professionals and health organizations, will publically show the benefits associated with cooperation.
Transparency Code aims to raise standards of this cooperation. INFARMA hopes that by thanks to this process the public opinion will be able to recognize the real value of the health care system. Implementation of the Code is based on a dialogue with the medical community, patients' organizations, trade organizations and independent authorities in the field of ethics.