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)
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