Healthy Skepticism Library item: 680

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

Guyatt G.
Guidelines for interaction with the pharmaceutical industry
CMAJ 1995; 152:1041-1042

Keywords:
*letter to the editor Canada guidelines, discussion of relationship between physicians in training and industry gift giving source of information ideology ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATING ABOUT PROMOTION: PHYSICIANS IN TRAINING ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: GIFT GIVING INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PROFESSIONALISM

Notes:

The goal in developing guidelines for the interaction between residents and the pharmaceutical industry was to reach a position that the majority of residents were comfortable with and that was achieved. Colby implies that industry gift giving is a form of promotional activity and that if industry is denied the opportunity to give gifts that this threatens industry interests and therefore industry is entitled to withdraw support. The pharmaceutical industry is unwilling to admit that its gift giving is a form of promotional activity and that it is entitled to withdraw support when its interests are challenged. To do so would admit that physicians are “on the take.” Instead industry prefers to present its gift giving as philanthropy. Physicians should refuse industry gifts and look to sources other than the industry for guides to drug prescribing.