Physicians and the Pharmaceutical Industry: Is a Gift Ever Just a Gift?
Article Abstract:
Regular contact with the pharmaceutical industry appears to influence a doctor's prescribing habits. Pharmaceutical companies actively promote their drugs by giving doctors gifts, free samples, free meals, travel subsidies, and sponsoring continuing medical education (CME) courses and symposia. Researchers analyzed 29 studies of the effect this influence has on doctors. When doctors accept travel subsidies to attend educational symposia, they are more likely to prescribe that company's drugs. They were also more likely to prescribe a company's drug if they took a CME course sponsored by the company.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 2000
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Interactions Between Physicians and the Health Care Technology Industry
Article Abstract:
Doctors and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry should convene a task force to develop guidelines for doctors who accept gifts from the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical companies routinely market their drugs to doctors by giving them gifts, free meals, travel subsidies to attend meetings, and company-sponsored continuing medical education (CME) courses. This information exchange is very beneficial for patients, but it can be abused. This is especially true if the gifts affect the doctor's prescribing habits.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 2000
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Should Physicians Accept Gifts From Patients?
Article Abstract:
All physicians should determine how they will treat gifts from patients. Many gifts are symbols of gratitude and probably should be accepted if they are inexpensive and meaningful. Rejecting them would hurt the patient's feelings and possibly damage the physician-patient relationship. However, expensive gifts that patients give to receive special treatment should be politely declined. Physicians can decide to decline all gifts or make it clear to patients that they will not receive special treatment because of the gift.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1998
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Physicians, hospitals to share Medicare pay; bundling demo seeks savings, better coordination of care
- Abstracts: Physicians, hospitals to share Medicare pay; bundling demo seeks savings, better coordination of care. part 2 Private contracting heats up; right to opt out of Medicare at issue in lawsuit
- Abstracts: Prostacyclin and Thromboxane Changes Predating Clinical Onset of Preeclampsia A Multicenter Prospective Study
- Abstracts: Homeopathy and Naturopathy. Chiropractic Care for Children. Group well-child care for high-risk families: maternal outcomes
- Abstracts: Sports participation, age at smoking initiation, and the risk of smoking among US high school students. Trends in Pregnancy-Related Smoking Rates in the United States, 1987-1996