Best practice guidance: Supporting patient organisations to report industry funding

Transparency is essential when pharmaceutical companies work with patient organisations. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry places requirements on industry to publish annual lists of payments to patient organisations, and we endorse this approach. Currently, there is no similar requirement for those patient organisations in receipt of grants or funds from industry.

In response, the ABPI has put together some advice for local disclosure mechanisms, based on current practice among industry. We welcome this move, particularly the guidance on the categories of information that should be provided as a minimum (the name of the pharmaceutical company, the value amount, the date, and a short description of the activity to aid public understanding).