The National Council Against Smoking (NCAS) has lodged an objection, with more than 50 signatories, with the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) over tobacco giant Phillip Morris International’s (PMI) sponsorship of medical education for doctors.
All registered healthcare professionals are required to stay up to date by completing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events provided by HPCSA-accredited organisations – often sponsored by healthcare companies, like pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The NCAS wrote to the HPCSA on 18 April asking it to investigate the alleged PMI sponsorship, in November, of a CPD event held by Alliance of South African Independent Practitioners Association (ASAIPA), and to withdraw the points accredited to doctors if it found this were indeed the case.
The event took place just as the National Council of Provinces was mulling over stringent new tobacco control laws, reports Business Day.
PMI’s sponsorship of CPD events breached the Tobacco Products Control Act, which prohibits the sponsorship of events by tobacco companies, noted the NCAS.
“The HPCSA could not possibly allow any accreditation of an event that is not legal. If it were aware this was about heated tobacco products, then it would be criminal to accredit it,” said Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring director and NCAS director Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, who wrote to the HPCSA on behalf of NCAS.
The letter was signed by more than 50 organisations and dozens of individuals working in public health.
Since heated tobacco products have not been authorised by SA’s medicines regulator, they should not be prescribed by doctors, he added. “No matter how you feel about it, you can’t prescribe something that is not approved. It’s just not ethical.”
NCAS has asked the HPCSA to investigate whether any other CPD events organised by ASAIPA have been sponsored by tobacco companies and publish guidelines making it clear that any entity linked to these companies cannot sponsor CPD events.
The HPCSA did not proactively scrutinise the sponsorship of the CPD events provided by accredited service providers but investigated complaints brought before it, said HPCSA registrar Magome Masike, adding that he had not yet had time to consider the specifics of the NCAS letter.
ASAIPA said in a statement it had included harm reduction “as a featured topic” on its calendar in response to requests from its members.
“Our goal is to provide comprehensive care for patients who smoke, including harm reduction options, cessation support, and education on the risks of tobacco,” it said.
“ASAIPA takes these concerns seriously and will conduct a thorough review of our sponsorship and involvement with PMI to ensure our actions align with our mission and values,” it added.
PMI directed Business Day to a video recording in which its vice-president for global scientific engagement, Gizelle Baker, defended the provision of certified medical education. “Whether it is the device industry, pharmaceuticals or us, it is important that somebody is funding the information. If PMI doesn’t fund it, nothing happens and doctors are misinformed,” she said.
BusinessLIVE article – Anti-tobacco campaigners lay complaint over Phillip Morris sponsorship
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