Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4218

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

Rapp MS, Woollard R.
Two cheers for the CMA's new guidelines on drug company-MD relations The CMA's MD-drug industry guidelines offer advice, nothing more.
CMAJ 1991 Dec 1; 145:(11):1497-9

Abstract:

There is little evidence that the new guidelines from the Canadian Medical Association on the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession are needed. There has not been a great deal of unethical behaviour. The documents expects too much from doctors; if they have a dinner paid for by a drug company it is unethical but if the purchasing agent for a company has a dinner at the expense of a wholesaler that would be considered part of doing business. If followed rigidly, the new guidelines will reduce the amount of continuing medical education available in some areas. The idea that these guidelines will result in lower drug prices is false. With the advent of rules like these we have moved from “doctor bashing” to “doctor shaping.” These new ethical guidelines are overdrawn and excessive and will not have the effects their authors intended. They should be withdrawn.

Keywords:
*analysis/Canada/ conflict of interest/ Canadian Medical Association/ continuing medical education/ relationship between medical profession and industry/ consumer drug prices/guidelines, discussion of/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: LINKS BETWEEN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND INDUSTRY/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Advertising Canada Conflict of Interest* Drug Industry* Economics* Education, Medical Ethics, Medical Financial Support Guidelines* Humans Organizational Policy* Pharmaceutical Preparations Physicians* Societies