Islamabad: As a large number of physicians from across Pakistan gather at a luxury hill resort in Bhurban for a three-day scientific conference beginning Friday, questions are once again being raised over whether patients ultimately bear the hidden cost of a continuing medical education model that relies heavily on pharmaceutical industry funding, with millions of rupees spent on hospitality, branding and conference-related activities.
Documents reviewed by Vitals News show that pharmaceutical companies are being invited to sponsor hospitality suites, inaugural and executive dinners, breakfast and lunch sessions, tea breaks, audiovisual arrangements, registration desks, industry-sponsored symposia, printed material, quiz competitions and exhibition activities. Sponsorship packages range from hundreds of thousands of rupees to Rs2.5 million, excluding applicable taxes.
Pharmaceutical executives say they support continuing medical education but argue that conferences are increasingly becoming expensive commercial obligations rather than purely scientific events. They claim companies are often expected to bear costs extending well beyond educational activities, including delegates’ air travel, airport transfers, hotel accommodation, meals and local transportation.
“The scientific programme occupies only part of the conference, while hospitality has become a major component of the budget,” a senior pharmaceutical executive told Vitals News on condition of anonymity. “Companies are expected to sponsor meals, accommodation, branding and multiple social events to maintain visibility.”
Executives from several pharmaceutical companies estimate that medical societies collectively seek between Rs7 billion and Rs10 billion annually through sponsorships for conferences, seminars, workshops, continuing medical education (CME) programmes and related hospitality.
According to the sponsorship package, companies are being asked to pay up to Rs2.5 million for audiovisual sponsorship, Rs2 million each for inaugural dinner and registration desk sponsorship, Rs1.5 million for hospitality suites and industry symposia, and Rs1 million each for breakfast sessions, lunch sessions and executive dinners, besides hundreds of thousands of rupees for tea sessions, printed material, quizzes and other conference activities.
The President of the Pakistan Endocrine Society (PES), Dr Ali Asghar, did not respond to detailed written questions from Vitals News seeking the Society’s position on the choice of venue, sponsorship arrangements, hospitality and conference financing. However, Prof. A.H. Aamir, a patron and former president of the Society, who said he was no longer involved in its management, defended the conference model.
Prof. Aamir said the Society had attempted to discontinue its midsummer conference, including in 2017, but pharmaceutical companies themselves requested its continuation, arguing that delegates remained inside the venue throughout the programme and benefited from uninterrupted scientific sessions.
He said the conference is organised at a hill resort during the country’s hottest months to encourage attendance and help physicians stay updated on advances in endocrinology. He added that exhibition stalls are provided free of charge to pharmaceutical companies that are members of the Society, while charges apply only for optional hospitality suites because the hotel bills the Society for those facilities.
Prof. Aamir said all Pakistan Endocrine Society scientific meetings carry continuing medical education accreditation from the relevant postgraduate body. He added that the annual conference requires a venue capable of accommodating 600 to 700 participants, which is generally available only at major hotels, while the Society organises regular CME activities in smaller cities throughout the year.
Despite the Society’s explanation, pharmaceutical executives maintained that the rising cost of conference sponsorship remained a concern.
“The money has to come from somewhere. If billions of rupees are diverted every year towards conference sponsorships, hospitality and other non-scientific activities, the healthcare system ultimately bears the cost,” another pharmaceutical executive said.
Healthcare economists say promotional expenditure ultimately becomes part of pharmaceutical companies’ operating costs, although its direct impact on medicine prices is difficult to quantify because many medicines are price-regulated while competition influences pricing in others.
Medical ethicists have long argued that scientific meetings should reduce reliance on commercial sponsorship and adopt greater transparency in conference funding, sponsorship arrangements and potential conflicts of interest.
A senior official of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) said the regulator expects registered healthcare professionals to comply with its Code of Ethics and professional standards. The official said that if the Council receives a complaint alleging unethical conduct by any healthcare professional or group of professionals, it would investigate the matter in accordance with the applicable legal and regulatory framework.
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