Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2231

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: news

Greene J.
Medical groups tout AMA drug industry gift campaign
AMNews 2001 Dec 3

Abstract:

Increasing federal scrutiny of drug industry marketing practices underlines the importance of voluntary compliance with the AMA ethical guidelines on gifts from industry, experts say.

Full text:

Physicians and industry sales representatives have another reason to reduce the number of gifts associated with educational activities organized by pharmaceutical and device manufacturers: increasing government oversight.

To prevent fraud and abuse, the Health and Human Services Dept.‘s Office of Inspector General plans to issue voluntary compliance guidelines next year on the marketing practices of pharmaceutical and device manufacturers.

Partly in response to increased government scrutiny and a constant drumbeat of press reports detailing a wide range of gifts to physicians, the AMA in September launched a campaign to educate physicians on the ethics of gifts from industry (http://www.ama-assn.org/go/ethicalgifts). Drug firms and device manufacturers also are participating in the campaign by restructuring their educational training curriculums.

“I am encouraged with the level of activity of the groups,” said Alan Nelson, MD, chair of the AMA-led gift campaign working group. “Organizations are including the information in their scientific programs and publications. Members of industry are ratcheting up training of sales reps, so there is more understanding.”

Dr. Nelson said the inspector general’s 2002 work plan clearly states the federal government’s concern with gifts.

“We will evaluate the extent of gifts and payments to physicians from pharmaceutical companies,” the Inspector General’s Office said in a statement.

“In 1990, FDA passed regulations forbidding ‘gifts of substantial value’ to physicians from pharmaceutical companies,” the statement said. “Nevertheless, the pharmaceutical industry currently spends about $12 billion a year on marketing to physicians, and some of these gifts may present an inherent conflict of interest between the legitimate business goals of manufacturers and the ethical obligation of providers to prescribe drugs in the most rational way. Gifts may also violate the federal anti-kickback statute if they are intended to induce referrals.”

“We hope physicians and industry understand that a voluntary compliance with ethical guidelines is much better than having our backs against the wall with regulations,” said Dr. Nelson, a Fairfax, Va., internist.

Several groups educate members
To get the word out to physicians, the Monroe County Medical Society mailed out AMA-crafted information kits to 1,750 members who practice near Rochester, N.Y., said Nancy Adams, its executive director.

“The campaign itself is quite useful information to remind our physicians of the ethical rules,” Adams said.

The American Osteopathic Assn. is presenting information to the more than 50,000 osteopathic physicians at meetings, through publications and in membership outreach efforts, said Martin Levine, DO, an AOA board member.

“We are trying to get the message to physicians who don’t normally attend our conventions,” said Dr. Levine, a family practice osteopathic physician in Bayonne, N.J.

William Golden, MD, chair of the ethics committee with the American College of Physicians—American Society of Internal Medicine, said his group was supporting the AMA’s activities, but it was also embarking on a related effort to get the message out to their 115,000 members.

“Our guidelines are slightly different than the AMA,” Dr. Golden said. “We chose not to set a dollar value for a gift. We discourage all gifts. We have asked our doctors to ask themselves three questions: How would you feel if patients knew [you received gifts from industry]? How would you feel if it were published in the paper? And how would you feel if your own doctor accepted gifts?”

Dr. Golden also said the society was asking medical schools and internal medicine residency programs to review their policies on how students and residents interact with sales representatives.

Phase two of the AMA’s campaign — expected to begin early next year — is aimed at helping medical schools, residency programs and CME providers present ethics information on gifts.