Pharmacists can sell data, college says


Ontario pharmacists are free to sell information on physicians' drug-prescribing practices, the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) says. An OCP position paper states that "the provision of anonymous prescription information by pharmacists . . . is not in and of itself unprofessional or unethical." The college had been reviewing its position on the sale of MD prescribing data since the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) objected to the practice (see CMAJ 1996; 154: 1747-1749 [In brief / En bref]).

IMS Canada, a Montreal-based health-information company that has been at the centre of the controversy, issued a news release supporting the decision. Calling it a "victory for health care," IMS said prescriber-level data are valuable for monitoring medical practices and providing feedback to physicians. The next challenge, the company said, is to organize an advisory board to help create national guidelines for ethical use of the data. The OMA, however, said the decision does not represent the best interests of patients. Dr. Ted Boadway told the Globe and Mail that "the sale of information will `breach the bond of trust' that must exist between doctor and pharmacist -- to the detriment of the patient."


| CMAJ June 15, 1996 (vol 154, no 12) |