UPDATE : Monday, September 7, 2020
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‘Drugmakers’ support for on-line academic meets, not illegal rebate’
  • By Kwak Sung-sun
  • Published 2020.06.11 11:25
  • Updated 2020.06.12 12:09
  • comments 0

As medical societies are shifting from in-person academic meetings to virtual ones amid the Covid-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical companies’ support for such conferences cannot be interpreted as illegal rebates, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.

The ministry’s authoritative interpretation allows drugmakers to not only participate in online meetings of medical societies through e-booths but promote their products through video clips. However, such supports should be made on condition that the pharmaceutical industry and the medical community agree on the supports’ desirable level, the ministry noted.

An official at the ministry’s Pharmaceutical Policy Division made these and other remarks while meeting with reporters.

The ministry met with medical groups, pharmaceutical companies, Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association, Korean Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association, and Korea Medical Devices Industry Association to discuss the support for online academic conferences on Monday.

“At the meeting, we told them that the support for online conferences is not an illegal rebate,” the official said. “The detailed forms of support include participation in e-booths and video advertisement.”

As the online conference will be different from that of the offline meeting, the cost for the virtual booth will be needed to be adjusted, he added.

The medical community and the pharmaceutical industry will need to build a consensus on an appropriate amount of the cost, the official went on to say. He added that the ministry was discussing with the Fair Trade Commission on how to reflect this on the Fair Competition Agreement.

“Even in the Covid-19 crisis, medical societies need to hold meetings. We will ensure that the law and the system do not hinder such conferences,” the official said. “We’re trying to make decisions on various matters as soon as possible. At the earliest, we will wrap up discussions within this week.”

kss@docdocdoc.co.kr

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