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Visiting Researcher Seminar
Time, Date, Location
1:00 – 2:30 PM
September 10, 2008
Robinson B434
“The Relationship between Physicians and Pharmaceutical Companies in Israel: Ethical, Constitutional and Legal Aspects”
by Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot, M.A. (Law), Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Ms Nissanholtz-Gannot will describe her research on the relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies in Israel. This relationship poses significant ethical and legal issues with implications for the development and marketing of pharmaceuticals that can affect the availability of new drugs, their costs to patients, and national health spending on drugs. In light of these potentially significant impacts, there have been various attempts to limit and regulate the relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. This research examines these limits in various nations and focuses on Israel’s unique creation of a charter between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. Based on in-depth interviews with heads of medical organizations, CEOs of pharmaceutical companies, senior officials in the Ministries of Health and Treasury, heads of the National Health Funds, and patient representatives, the research assesses the positions of the various parties with respect to the charter and suitable methods of supervision.
Ms Nissanholtz-Gannot is currently a doctoral student and lecturer, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Israel. She has served as the head of public policy at the Israel Medical Association and has also participated in the special committee that establishes which medicines will be covered by Israeli health insurance plans and which will be paid for by patients themselves, taking into consideration various moral, social and ethical issues.