American Medical Student Association Commends PhRMA's Gift Restrictions; Calls For Further Government Regulation

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 11 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PST

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The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the nation's largest independent medical student organization, supports changes made in the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals. The new code, to which pharmaceutical companies may voluntarily subscribe, acknowledges that gifts do not belong in the health care system.

"However, the updates are clearly inadequate," says Dr. Brian Hurley, AMSA's national president. "As the organization leading the PharmFree movement, AMSA strongly advocates for the elimination of all pharmaceutical gifts but PhRMA's new code leaves many holes, such as allowances for 'occasional meals' and the absence of a clear enforcement structure for these voluntary guidelines. Without consequences, these updates don't translate to better patient care."

"Given that pharmaceutical companies have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, and given that they are a business that must take profits into consideration, the pharmaceutical industry cannot be expected to self-regulate," continues Hurley. "Most importantly, this code preserves the industry's practice of aggressively marketing their drugs to physicians through pharmaceutical sales representatives. Pharma rep marketing is inherently biased. Physicians should not be bombarded by these advertisements while deciding which drug to prescribe."

Here are a few highlights of the new PhRMA Code:

- Prohibits distribution of non-educational items, such as pens, mugs and other "reminder" objects typically adorned with a company or product logo, to healthcare providers and their staff.

- Prohibits company sales representatives from providing restaurant meals to healthcare professionals, but allows them to provide occasional meals in healthcare professionals' offices in conjunction with informational presentations.

- Includes new provisions that require companies to ensure that their sales representatives are sufficiently trained about applicable laws, regulations and industry codes of practice.

Click here for the entire Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals.

Pharmaceutical industry marketing to doctors has been estimated at $28 billion to $46 billion per year, with additional promotion by the medical device industry. This equates, conservatively, to $35,000 per year in marketing directed at each physician, on average. More than 100,000 pharmaceutical sales representatives regularly visit U.S. physicians, providing free lunches, gifts, medication samples and carefully-selected medical literature to promote their products. These presentations and personal relationships are designed to influence doctors to prescribe more drugs and more expensive drugs and have often become a substitute for objective medical evidence.

Launched in 2002, AMSA's PharmFree Campaign guides medical students in organizing to advocate for evidence-based rather than marketing-based prescribing practices, the removal of conflicts of interest and global access to essential medicines. In June 2008, AMSA released its PharmFree Scorecard, which evaluated restrictions on gifts, paid speaking for products, acceptance of drug promotion samples, interaction with sales representatives, and industry-funded education, among other criteria. For more information, please visit http://www.pharmfree.org.

About the American Medical Student Association

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), with more than a half-century history of medical student activism, is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. With more than 67,000 members, including medical and premedical students, residents and practicing physicians, AMSA is committed to improving medical training as well as advancing the profession of medicine. AMSA focuses on four strategic priorities, including advocating for quality, affordable health care for all, global health equity, enriching medicine through diversity and professional integrity, development and student well being.

American Medical Student Association