E-drug: Crisis in the Australian PBS (cont)
------------------------------------------------
Editorial, "The Age" Newspaper
Saturday 10 February 2001
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/2001/02/10/FFXLUKQQYIC.html
Federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge has talked himself into a deep
problem with his unnecessary and excessive criticisms of former members of
the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. Early in the week, Dr
Wooldridge accused some committee members of "spitting the dummy"
after they had publicly raised their concerns about the Federal
Government's decision to appoint a former drug industry executive and
lobbyist to the committee.
The minister's first attack on a small group of men and women who were
clearly arguing from a position of principle and genuinely held beliefs
reflected poorly on him, not them. But in Parliament on Thursday, Dr
Wooldridge, under increasing political pressure for his motives in the
revamping of the committee, returned to a theme that should never be part of
a federal minister's rhetorical repertoire. In response to a question from
Labor Opposition Leader Kim Beazley about the range of critics of the
government's appointment of former drug industry lobbyist Pat Clear to the
committee, Dr Wooldridge singled out Professor David Henry as being
responsible for most of the criticism. He repeated the "spit the dummy"
insult and accused Professor Henry of "working up his little left-wing
mates".
This did nothing for the efficacy of Dr Wooldridge's argument that the
committee will be enhanced by the inclusion of an industry representative.
Indeed, it merely served to demonstrate how lacking in substance the
minister's advocacy for changes to the committee has been. Dr Wooldridge,
with enthusiastic support from Prime Minister John Howard, has said that the
committee needs a turnover of members because experience has shown that
attitudes become entrenched and the body has tended to take on an
adversarial approach to the drug industry. This is not convincing. The
committee's role is to act as the gatekeeper between the drug companies and
billions of dollars of taxpayer funds. What to Dr Wooldridge and probably
many drug manufacturers is an adversarial attitude would to many others be a
disinterested approach - which is exactly what is required of the committee.
Nor has the minister managed to make a convincing case for the inclusion on
the committee of someone whose previous career was devoted to advancing the
interests of multinational drug manufacturers. Few interested parties, apart
from the drug companies, have been critical of the committee's performance.
Essentially, Dr Wooldridge and Mr Howard have said that the committee should
have a member drawn from the industry because they say so. That has not been
satisfactory and until the government presents a less arrogant, more
coherent case, it will remain so.
---------------------------------------
See also:
Transcript ABC TV 7:30 Report 8/02/01
Wooldridge under pressure over pharmaceutical industry dealings
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/s243983.htm
---------------------------------------
Reprinted under the fair use doctrine of international copyright law:
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
Dr. Ken Harvey, Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health,
Room 221, Building HS1 (NW9),
La Trobe University, Bundoora, 3086, Australia,
Telephone +61 3 9479 5773,
Facsimile +61 3 9479 1783,
Personal mobile 0419181910,
Internet: http://www-sph.health.latrobe.edu.au/kharvey/
--
Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.
Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.