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I am writing to correct factual inaccuracies in your article ‘Second
drug firm found guilty of ‘switching’ patients to new drugs’ Zosia
Kmietowicz BMJ 2004;329:875 (16 October).
GlaxoSmithKline wish to point out that the Prescription Medicines
Code of Practice (PMCPA) reviewed the Airways Integrated Management
Service (AIMS) and found that the service was not in breach of the PMCPA
Code of Practice.
In contrast to the opening section of the BMJ report, the PMCPA ruled
that the materials used to introduce AIMS to practices were in breach of
the Code of Practice. GSK accepts this ruling, and has withdrawn these
materials. The AIMS service however was not ruled in breach, and as such
will continue.
GSK is fully committed to the spirit and the letter of the PMCPA Code
of Practice.
AIMS is designed to assist doctors in transferring patients receiving
both inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting â2 agonist (LABA) as separate
inhalers to a therapeutically equivalent combination formulation. It is
important to stress that this service requires, at every step, review and
written permission by doctors within the practice to authorise any change
in therapy. Any change in therapy only takes place if considered the most
appropriate course of action. Combination inhaler therapy is not product
specific, ie there is no obligation for patients to be prescribed GSK
brands. In addition, patients are notified of any proposed changes in
their therapy, and are free to accept or reject these changes.
This service is delivered either through an independent agency, or
through practice staff. No GSK staff deliver the AIMS service. The option
of financial support is available to the practice as reimbursement for
time spent in implementing the process, however practices are under no
obligation to accept financial support.
AIMS is not, and never has been, a service whereby patients could
only be transferred to GSK products. GSK remains committed to this
service, which offers potential benefits to both patients and practices.
Yours faithfully
Dr Stuart Dollow
Vice President / UK Medical Director
GlaxoSmithKline UK
Competing interests:
Employed by GlaxoSmithKline
Competing interests:
No competing interests
16 October 2004
Stuart C Dollow
Vice President / UK Medical Director
Vivienne E Wright
GSK UK, Stockley Park West, Uxbridge, Middx. UB11 1BT
GSK Response - Clarification of Status of AIMS Service
Sir,
I am writing to correct factual inaccuracies in your article ‘Second
drug firm found guilty of ‘switching’ patients to new drugs’ Zosia
Kmietowicz BMJ 2004;329:875 (16 October).
GlaxoSmithKline wish to point out that the Prescription Medicines
Code of Practice (PMCPA) reviewed the Airways Integrated Management
Service (AIMS) and found that the service was not in breach of the PMCPA
Code of Practice.
In contrast to the opening section of the BMJ report, the PMCPA ruled
that the materials used to introduce AIMS to practices were in breach of
the Code of Practice. GSK accepts this ruling, and has withdrawn these
materials. The AIMS service however was not ruled in breach, and as such
will continue.
GSK is fully committed to the spirit and the letter of the PMCPA Code
of Practice.
AIMS is designed to assist doctors in transferring patients receiving
both inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting â2 agonist (LABA) as separate
inhalers to a therapeutically equivalent combination formulation. It is
important to stress that this service requires, at every step, review and
written permission by doctors within the practice to authorise any change
in therapy. Any change in therapy only takes place if considered the most
appropriate course of action. Combination inhaler therapy is not product
specific, ie there is no obligation for patients to be prescribed GSK
brands. In addition, patients are notified of any proposed changes in
their therapy, and are free to accept or reject these changes.
This service is delivered either through an independent agency, or
through practice staff. No GSK staff deliver the AIMS service. The option
of financial support is available to the practice as reimbursement for
time spent in implementing the process, however practices are under no
obligation to accept financial support.
AIMS is not, and never has been, a service whereby patients could
only be transferred to GSK products. GSK remains committed to this
service, which offers potential benefits to both patients and practices.
Yours faithfully
Dr Stuart Dollow
Vice President / UK Medical Director
GlaxoSmithKline UK
Competing interests:
Employed by GlaxoSmithKline
Competing interests: No competing interests