CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 21, No 3, May/June 2010
AFRICA
131
From the Editor’s Desk
Involvement of pharmaceutical companies at scientific
meetings
South Africa not infrequently hosts high-level cardiology meet-
ings outside the auspices of South African professional medical
societies and associations. Well-known cardiologists, particularly
from the USA and Europe are invited to make presentations,
which bring the best and most-recent advances in the field to this
country. This is of course of great value to the selected group of
delegates who are invited to attend. Large sums of money are
involved because all the presenters and many of those attending
receive full financial support for their participation.
A recent meeting in Cape Town, Cardiology and Diabetes
at the Limits, is a case in point. It was arranged through the
Hatter Institute in London and, typically, had as many as 30
invited cardiologists. In this instance, organisers raised funds
very successfully from international pharmaceutical companies
and also from their local business units. It was held outside the
orbit of accountable professional medical organisations in either
South Africa or the United Kingdom. These companies are hard
pressed to say no, and might well wish to spend budgeted money
on other forms of continuing medical education or research
support, which would reach a wider audience, but are being
energetically lobbied into funding such meetings.
The question arises whether South Africa is being used to
sidestep the ethical principles as set out for the promotion of
pharmaceutical products by the International Federation of
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and
the affiliated Pharmaceutical Industry Association of South
Africa (PIASA).
1
No financial statements regarding income and
expenses are ever presented by these organisers, as is the prac-
tice with professional medical associations in South Africa, who
typically report back to their membership at their annual general
meetings. To whom and where the money goes is not therefore
in the public domain. Careful monitoring of these types of events
should be the local responsibility of the South African Health
Professions Council and other relevant medical professional
associations.
The recent editorial article by DJ Rothman,
et al
.
2
is instruc-
tive. Some of these guidelines are already followed by South
African professional medical societies, although further rigour
may well be required.
ANDRIES BRINK,
Editor-in-chief,
Cardiovascular Journal of Africa
References
SACode ofMarketing Practice 090331.
1.
/
templates/EthicalPromotion/pdfs/SAF_en_CodeMarketing31032009.
pdf.
Rothman DJ, McDonald WJ, Berdowitz CD, Chimonas SC, DeAngelis
2.
CD, Hale RW,
et al
. Professional medical associations and their relation-
ship with industry: a proposal for controlling conflicts of interest.
J Am
Med Assoc
2009;
301
(13): 1367–1372.
Watch these dates
Date
Event
Place
Contact
16 – 19 June
World Congress of Cardiology
Beijing, China
24 – 27 July
International Academy of Cardiology, 15th World
Congress on Heart Disease
Vancouver, Canada
8 – 11 August
SA Heart Association Congress
Sun City, North West
13 – 15 August
East Meets West Cardiology
Krabi, Thailand
28 August – 1 September European Society of Cardiology Congress (ESC)
Stockholm, Sweden
26 – 30 September
23rd Scientific Meeting of International Society of
Hypertension
Vancouver, BC,
Canada
14 – 17 October
Vascular Society of Southern Africa Congress
(VASSA)
KwaMaritane, North
West Province
13 – 17 November
American Heart Association
Chicago, Illinois, US
9 – 11 December 2010 Heart, Vessels & Diabetes – The European Conference Lisbon, Portugal
