Viewpoint
Nov 1999
- A pen, of the kind that drug companies commonly distribute to physicians, can cost as little as 25 cents if you purchase 10,000 of them from a product catalog.
- A disposable penlight, another gift commonly distributed, costs approximately $2.50 at university bookstores.
- The average cost of a dinner at a 4-star restaurant such as Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, is $100 per person, excluding drinks and gratuity.
- Physicians who are more aware of guidelines about gifts from industry are more likely to view such gifts as inappropriate [1-13].
- The AMA's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs' Policy E-8.061 provides specific guidelines about what are appropriate and inappropriate gifts to physicians from industry. (See also Addendum to E-8.061)
References
- Gibbons RV, Landry FJ, Blouch DL, Williams FK, Lucey CR, Kroenke K. A comparison of physicians' and patients' attitudes toward pharmaceutical industry gifts. J Gen Int Med. 1998;13(3):151-154.
- Hopper JA, Speece MW, Musial JL. Effects of an educational intervention on residents' knowledge and attitudes toward interactions with pharmaceutical representatives. J Gen Intern Med. 1997;12(10):639-642.
- Madhavan S, Amonkar MM, Elliott D, Burke K, Gore P. The gift relationship between pharmaceutical companies and physicians: an exploratory survey of physicians. J Clin Pharm Ther. 1997;22(3):207-215.
- Beary JF III. Pharmaceutical marketing has real and proven value. Characteristics of materials distributed by drug companies: four points of view. J Gen Intern Med. 1996;11(10):635-636.
- Stryer D, Bero LA. Characteristics of materials distributed by drug companies. An evaluation of appropriateness. J Gen Intern Med. 1996;11(10):575-583.
- Wolfe SM. Why do American drug companies spend more than $12 billion a year pushing drugs? Is it education or promotion? Characteristics of materials distributed by drug companies: four points of view. J Gen Intern Med. 1996;11(10):637-639.
- Rosner F. Pharmaceutical industry support for continuing medical education programs: a review of current ethical guidelines. Mt Sinai J Med. 1995;62(6):427-430.
- Mainous AG, Hueston WJ, Rich EC. Patient perceptions of physician acceptance of gifts from the pharmaceutical industry. Arch Fam Med. 1995;4(4):335-339.
- Beary JF. Inappropriate drug prescribing. JAMA. 1995;276(6):455-456.
- Thomson AN, Craig BJ, Barham PM. Attitudes of general practitioners in New Zealand to pharmaceutical representatives. Br J Gen Pract. 1994;44(382):220-223.
- Patel JC. The gifts and trinkets to doctors: current practice in India and global trends in pharmaceutical industry. Indian J Med Sci. 1994;48(1):20-30.
- Reeder M, Dougherty J, White LJ. Pharmaceutical representatives and emergency medicine residents: a national survey. Ann Emerg Med. 1993;22(10):1593-1596.
- Lurie N, Rich EC, Simpson DE, Meyer J, Schiedermayer DL, Goodman JL, McKinney WP. Pharmaceutical representatives in academic medical centers: interaction with faculty and housestaff. J Gen Intern Med. 1990;5(3):240-243.
