E-drug: WHO and the Pharmaceutical Industry
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E-Drug readers may recall discussions about the World Bank accepting
an IFPMA person who would be working on pharmaceutical issues.
We were informed last week that WHO has approved that an employee of the
pharmaceutical company MSD (= Merck) join the WHO staff, paid by MSD. She
has started work at WHO headquarters in Geneva 1 April 1999. This is a clear
example of close WHO - pharmaceutical industry "partnership" which creates
an inherent conflict of interest. As far as we are aware there are no clear
and transparent WHO criteria for interaction with commercial enterprises.
Regardless of good intentions, this case should give ground for reflexions
about WHO's integrity:
- Is it acceptable that industry can influence WHO policy by not only
paying staff but also making their own people WHO staff members?
- Have guidelines been made on secondment of positions from
private/commercial players?
- Are more such initiatives in process?
- How does WHO ensure that it in practice does not cause a conflict of
interest, e.g. when the person in question is given/defined tasks,
participates in meetings for WHO etc?
- Can the industry choose freely to 'employ' persons in WHO? Can the payer
influence the choice of area in which that person should be employed and
thus influence WHOs priorities/use of resources? Is it possible that it will
cause (relatively) lower priority for areas which are less attractive to
commercial players? Who defines the needs - has a ceiling for number of
secondments been set?
- Which criteria are used to select or accept a person? In this case, how
does secondment influence national quotas?
- Do these arrangements take care of earlier expressed ambitions on openness
in employment procedures etc?
A perception of her role from the point of view of MSD and WHO, can be seen
by the following mail, distributed to all MSD staff by MSD Chief Executive:
<snip>
I'm pleased to announce that Sissel Brinchmann will join the staff of the
World Health Organisation in Geneva on a one-year secondment from Merck,
effective 12 April 1999. This pioneering arrangement reflects the new
willingness of the WHO under its Director-General, Dr. Gro Harlem
Brundtland, to form productive
partnerships with the private sector. Merck & Co., Inc., has enjoyed close
working relationship with the World Health Organization and its staff for
many years in such areas as immunization programs and the MECTIZAN Donation
Program. More recently, Merck has collaborated with the WHO in Geneva,
Copenhagen, and Washington (PAHO) on a number of health policy and
communication projects.
Sissel Brinchmann joined MSD Norway as External Affairs Manager in March
1994 and came to Whitehouse Station in September 1997 as Manager, Public
Affairs, Europe, Middle East & Africa. Trained as a pharmacist, before
joining MSD Sissel headed the Norwegian Association of Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers and served as a member of the executive Member Association
bodies of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Associations (IFPMA) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical
Industries and Associations (EFPIA). Later she became a member of the
Public Affairs Committee of IFPMA, representing Scandinavia. She is also a
member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
Sissel's secondment to the WHO presents a marvelous opportunity to continue
to build bridges among Merck, the pharmaceutical industry, and the global
health community. She brings wide industry experience and a solid record of
accomplishments to her new role. Based on her diplomatic skills and
creative approach to critical issues, I know that she will be an effective
ambassador. Please join me in wishing Sissel every success as she takes up
this challenging and innovative assignment.
<snip>
... Whoever pays the piper calls the tune (old proverb)
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Jorg Schaaber
BUKO Pharma-Kampagne, August-Bebel-Str. 62, D-33602 Bielefeld, Germany
Phone +49-521-60550 Fax +49-521-63789 email: bukopharma@compuserve.com
homepage: www.epo.de/bukopharma/
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