Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34465582›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2021

Pharmaceutical industry payments and assisted reproduction in Australia: a retrospective observational study.

Emily Aspasia Karanges, Conrad Nangla, Lisa Parker, Alice Fabbri, Cynthia Farquhar, Lisa Bero

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.

Emily Aspasia KarangesCentre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7922-2762
Conrad NanglaCharles Perkins Centre, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Lisa ParkerCharles Perkins Centre, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8635-6953
Alice FabbriDepartment for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Cynthia FarquharDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-3685-3553
Lisa BeroSchools of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Denver, Colorado, USA LISA.BERO@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU.ORCID 0000-0003-1893-6651
The University of Sydney · AUColorado School of Public Health · USThe University of Melbourne · AUUniversity of Auckland · NZUniversity of Southern Denmark · DK

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/S037519/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo investigate the extent and nature of pharmaceutical industry payments related to fertility and assisted reproduction in Australia. DESIGN AND

settingThis retrospective observational study employed four databases compiled from publicly available pharmaceutical industry transparency reports on educational event sponsorship (October 2011-April 2018), payments to healthcare professionals (October 2015-April 2018) and patient group support (January 2013-December 2017). Analyses were restricted to fertility-related payments by two major manufacturers of fertility medicines in Australia: Merck Serono and Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Descriptive statistics on fertility-related payments and other transfers of value (counts, total and median costs in Australian dollars) for educational events and to healthcare professionals and patient groups.

resultsBetween October 2011 and April 2018, Merck Serono and MSD spent $A4 522 263 on 970 fertility-related events for healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and fertility scientists. 56.8% (551/970) events were held by fertility clinics and 29.3% (284/970) by professional medical associations. Between October 2015 and April 2018, Merck Serono spent $A403 800 across 177 payments to 118 fertility healthcare professionals, predominantly for educational event attendance. Recipients included obstetricians and gynaecologists (76.3% of payments, 135/177), nurses (11.3%, 20/177) and embryologists/fertility scientists (9.6%, 17/117). The highest paid healthcare professionals held leadership positions in major fertility clinics. Merck Serono provided $A662 850 to fertility-related patient groups for advocacy and education (January 2013-December 2017).

conclusionsThe pharmaceutical industry sponsored a broad range of fertility clinicians and organisations, including doctors, nurses, embryologists, professional medical organisations, fertility clinics and patient groups. This sponsorship may contribute to the overuse of fertility services.

Indexed as

Drug IndustryGynecologyAustraliaHealth PersonnelHumansReproductionmedical education & trainingmedical ethicsreproductive medicine

Identifiers

PMID34465582
PMCPMC8413968
OpenAlexW3197154898

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.