Code of Practice for the Clinical Assessment of Licensed Medicinal Products in General Practice

Abstract

A code of practice for the clinical assessment of licensed drugs by physicians in general practice has been developed jointly by the British Medical Association, the Royal Society of General Practitioners, and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. The new code, reproduced in full here, outlines the reasons drug assessments outside hospitals are needed; defines the roles of pharmaceutical firms, ethics committees, and investigators; lists items that must be included in research protocols; and offers guidelines on confidentiality, publication of results, and remuneration. (KIE abstract)