Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4236

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Terry PB.
Pulmonary physicians, principles, and pharmaceuticals.
Chest 1991 Jul; 100:(1):223-6

Abstract:

Pulmonary physicians and drug companies interact in a variety of ways, the most common being the contact of the sales representative with a physician in his or her office. But the relationships extend beyond this to include the physician as investigator, investor, owner, consultant and participant in industry-sponsored postgraduate education. It is helpful to look at these in light of existing medical and business ethics principles. Gifts and samples to physicians may be perceived by them as tokens of friendship but this is not the motive of the pharmaceutical companies. Public awareness of gifts and drug samples also may be detrimental to the profession. Postgraduate courses with speakers and/or content selected by drug companies are potentially manipulative and therefore should be avoided. The practice of inviting physicians to attend company sponsored all-expense-paid educational courses in attractive vacation spots extends beyond manipulation and meets the business ethics definition of bribery. Physicians undertaking drug company sponsored studies to test the effectiveness of new drugs may be in a conflict of interest. The author recommends that doctors follow the recommendations from the American College of Physicians regarding interactions with the pharmaceutical industry.

Keywords:
*analysis/United States/relationship between medical profession and industry/drug company sponsored research/sponsored symposia & conferences/conflict of interest/American College of Physicians/regulation of promotion/gift giving/drug samples/continuing medical education/conference speakers/bioethics/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: GIFT GIVING/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: PAYMENT FOR MEALS, ACCOMODATION, TRAVEL, ENTERTAINMENT/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: PAYMENTS IN STUDIES/PROMOTION DISGUISED: COMPANY SPONSORED SPEAKING TOURS AND CONFERENCE SPEAKERS/PROMOTION DISGUISED: POSTMARKETING RESEARCH/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Drug Industry* Ethics, Medical* Humans Pulmonary Disease (Specialty)