Drug company methodologies used for reporting in the UK pharmaceutical industry payment transparency database between 2015 and 2019: A content analysis (13 September 2024)

Summary

UK pharmaceutical industry self-regulatory bodies require member companies who sign up to their code of conduct to publish details of their payments to healthcare professionals and organisations. They are also required to publish the methodologies underlying these payments in the form of methodological notes. This study in Health Policy aimed to analyse UK pharmaceutical companies’ methodological notes. It also looked at their adherence to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry code of conduct and other relevant guidance.

The authors conducted a content analysis of methodological notes for the years 2015, 2017 and 2019 and assessed companies’ adherence to self-regulatory bodies’ requirements and recommendations for methodology disclosure. Overall, 90 companies made payment disclosures in all three years, publishing 269 methodological notes. The study found gaps in adherence to self-regulatory requirements. Only three companies provided clear information for all self-regulatory body recommendations and regulations in all of their notes and there was evidence of widespread non-adherence to  requirements. This suggests that there are flaws in the concept of self-regulation and a need for greater enforcement of rules or consideration of a publicly mandated disclosure system.