Transparency

Bristol Myers Squibb has prepared the report for publication in accordance with the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct and Australia’s Privacy legislation. 

From 1 October 2016, reporting of these payments is mandatory, and healthcare professionals should reasonably expect that all reportable payments occurring on or after that date will be disclosed, including the name and other required details of the healthcare professional.

To comply with our privacy obligations, the report may be amended from time to time.  The report here contains the most up to date information.  Any use or disclosure of the data by a third party is the responsibility of that third party, who must comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988.

• You may search the pdf by physician name or entity name (by using the CTRL F function), which is presented alphabetically by first name and last name or institution name. You can also click on the 'Find & Select' icon.
• From 30 August 2019, the information for reporting period 01 November 2018 to 30 April 2019 and subsequent reporting periods is held in a database, administered by Medicines Australia. This database is designed to be searchable as well as downloaded as a CSV file. For further information about the details in the report, or to search the database, please visit www.DisclosureAustralia.com.au
• Due to the nature of these reportable activities, there are some reports that could not be submitted to Disclosure Australia under reasonable expectation.  Instead we have included the full report published on this website which is accessible by clicking the links in the table below.

What is the Medicines Australia Code of Conduct (the Code)?

In May 2015, Medicines Australia implemented a revised Code of Conduct requiring its member companies to track and publish payments and transfers of value to Healthcare Professionals, in addition to the existing report for health consumer organisations. The purpose of disclosure of payments is to demonstrate industry transparency and help the general public to understand the collaborative nature and extent of programs intended to increase the quality use of medicines.

• The reporting cycle is a six monthly cycle.
• The report must be published within 4 months following the end of each reporting period.
• Companies must publish the data about payments and transfers of value on companies' own websites.

What are the specifics of the Code?

The Code of Conduct requires Medicines Australia Member Companies, including BMS, to provide three types of reports:

• Educational Event Reports – covers all educational meetings and symposia held or sponsored by a member company; these are reported every six months.
• Healthcare Professional Transparency Report – covers all transfers of value associated with honoraria, airfares, accommodation and registration provided to healthcare professionals.
• Health Consumer Organisation Support Reports – reports on the nature of companies' relationships with health consumer organisations including the monetary value of any financial support; this is an annual report for each calendar year.

What is the definition of healthcare professional in the context of the Medicines Australia Code?

Under the provisions of the Code of Conduct, a healthcare professional is a member of a medical, dental, pharmacy or nursing profession and any other person who in the course of their professional activities may prescribe, supply or administer a prescription medicine.

What is reported under the Healthcare Consumer Organisation report?

Each Member Company must provide to Medicines Australia for publication on its website, a report listing Health Consumer Organisations to which it provides financial support and/or significant direct/indirect non-financial support. The published report must include:

• The name of the Health Consumer Organisation.
• A description of the nature of the support that is sufficiently complete to enable the average reader to form an understanding of the nature of the support.
• The monetary value of financial support or for significant non-financial support that cannot be assigned a meaningful monetary value, the published information must describe clearly the non-monetary value that the organisation receives.

What information about healthcare professionals will be reported and published?

• Date of the event or provision of service.
• Healthcare professional's name.
• Type of healthcare professional (i.e. medical practitioner, pharmacist, nurse practitioner).
• Healthcare professional's principal practice address.
• Description of the service (i.e. speaker, Advisory Board member, Chairperson at educational meeting etc).
• Description of the event (i.e. company sponsored meeting in Australia; independent meeting held in Australia; independent meeting held overseas; etc).
• Whether the payment was made to the healthcare professional or a third party.
• The amount of the payment or transfer of value, subdivided into (where relevant) registration fees, airfares and accommodation, and fees for service.

What activities are reported by companies for individual healthcare professionals?

• Consulting fees and/or speaking fees.
• Sponsorship of a healthcare professional to attend an educational event: airfares, accommodation and/or registration fees (whether held within or outside Australia).
• Fees paid to healthcare professional consultants in Australia, or to their employers on their behalf, for specific services rendered by them: consulting fees, accommodation and airfares (whether within or outside Australia).
• Fees paid to healthcare professionals in their role as Advisory Board members: sitting fees, accommodation and airfares (whether within or outside Australia).
• Fees paid to healthcare professionals for the purpose of market research ONLY where the identity of the healthcare professional is known to the company.
• Payment of an educational grant or sponsorship to a specific healthcare professional.

What Transfers of Value are excluded from Disclosure?

The following are not transfers of value for the purposes of the Code (list not exhaustive):

• Hospitality (food and beverages)
  
• Airport ground transfers, taxis, parking fees.
• Venue costs (e.g. room and/or audio-visual equipment hire).