Australian Medical Association

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is a peak organisation with 27,000 members including specialists, researchers, teachers and some general practitioners. (In contrast, the Australian Divisions of General Practice represent approximately 95% of general practitioners.)

The AMA had a federal structure with state and territory divisions addressing local state-based issues and the federal body handling national issues. The provision that comes closest to addressing the issue of gifts from medical devise or drug companies states "In order to provide high quality healthcare, you must safeguard clinical independence and professional integrity from increased demands from society, third parties, individual patients and governments."

Code of Ethics
The AMA's 2004 Code of Ethics provides no explicit guidance on appropriate standards for offers of gifts or funds from drug companies. The provisions of the code which most closely relate to receiving subsidies from drug companies are those which state:
 * "In order to provide high quality healthcare, you must safeguard clinical independence and professional integrity from increased demands from society, third parties, individual patients and governments";
 * "Protect clinical independence as it is essential when choosing the best treatment for patients and defending their health needs against all who would deny or restrict necessary care"; and
 * "Refrain from entering into any contract with a colleague or organisation which may conflict with professional integrity, clinical independence or your primary obligation to the patient." The President of the AMA at the time, Dr. Mukesh Haikerwal, flagged a review of its code of ethics as there was a "perception" doctors were too close to drug companies. "Arms length might be a good way to go," he said.

Personnel

 * Dr. Rosanna Capolingua, President

Former Presidents

 * Mukesh Haikerwal, former Federal AMA President

Contact Details
Australian Medical Association 42 Macquarie Street, BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 6090, KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: +61 2 6270 5400 Fax: +61 2 6270 5499 Email: ama AT ama.com.au Web: http://www.ama.com.au/web.nsf?opendatabase

Other SourceWatch Resources

 * Drug company gifts to doctors
 * Medical Codes of Ethics
 * Medicines Australia's Code of Conduct