Disclosure information on 17 pharmaceutical companies’ websites providing funds to patient and consumer organizations.

∧March 2010.*Reference to the activities funded varied among drug companies, from detailed description to generic mention of the type of activity.**Percentages refer to the drug companies reporting patient and consumer organizations funded.The transparency of drug companies’ websites was assessed in terms of: disclosure of patient and consumer groups funded, amount of funds, activities funded; accessibility of sponsorship information; date of update of sponsorship; links to websites of funded patient and consumer groups; availability of a code of conduct on the relationships with patient and consumer groups; different sponsorships information between the international and the Italian website of the drug company.According to the patient groups’ websites, each of the selected drug companies supported at least one of the patient or consumer groups included in the survey (one through its foundation).