Memorandum by Royal College of Nursing
(PI 42)
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is
the UK's largest professional association and trade union for
nurses, with over 370,000 members. The RCN works locally, nationally
and internationally to promote high standards of care and the
interests of patients and nurses, and of nursing as a profession.
1.2 The RCN agrees that the pharmaceutical
industry contributes substantially to the nation's health and
therefore brings important benefits to the national economy. The
RCN is working increasingly closely with the pharmaceutical industry
as nurse prescribing powers expand, and greatly values the support
the pharmaceutical industry offers in terms of the sponsorship
of professional events and the provision of education programmes.
1.3 The following offers the RCN's views
on the pharmaceutical industry and its influence as laid out in
the terms of reference.
2. CONDUCT OF
MEDICAL RESEARCH
2.1 The RCN believes that the conduct of
medical research should be the responsibility of the research
team. Funding from the pharmaceutical industry for such work must
be transparent and not bias the study in any way.
3. PROVISION
OF DRUG
INFORMATION AND
PROMOTION
3.1 Many pharmaceutical companies provide
high quality drug information materials which in the interests
of transparency should be acknowledged. However the RCN does not
condone the use of this literature for promotional purposes. The
distinction between product information and promotional material
should not be blurred.
3.2 The RCN believes that in general the
names of drugs on literature should be generic and not branded,
and that any claims or facts included on literature must be evidence
based.
4. PROFESSIONAL
AND PATIENT
INFORMATION
4.1 The pharmaceutical industry has an important
role and a corporate responsibility in the provision and support
of education and professional development. Validation of this
educational material by an appropriate body such as the Royal
Colleges or universities etc, ensures that this material is unbiased
and of a high standard.
4.2 However the RCN does have concerns that
the use of advertising inappropriately promotes the consumption
of medicines, particularly when vulnerable patients are not always
able to exercise critical judgement.
5. NURSE PRESCRIBERS
5.1 The increasing number of qualified nurse
prescribers and the expanding list of medicines and conditions
for which nurses are able to prescribe, has meant increasing contact
between the nursing profession and the pharmaceutical industry.
Preparation for this relationship is included in the extended/
supplementary prescribing educational programme. The influence
of the pharmaceutical industry on prescribing decisions is also
addressed during this training.
5.2 Students on the extended/supplementary
prescribing programme are provided with the knowledge and skills
enabling the critique of research evidence. These skills ensure
prescribing decisions are based on the available evidence, in
line with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils code of conduct.
The RCN agrees that nurses should not use their professional status
to promote a particular product. Any prescribing decision is made
within the context of the available evidence and the individual
needs of the patient.
November 2004
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