AMSA Members Join Connecticut Coalition Demanding Ban On Pharmaceutical Gifts

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 28 Apr 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Medical students from the University of Connecticut (UConn) and across the Northeast are joining the Connecticut Coalition for Prescription Reform on Tuesday, April 28th to lobby state representatives for mandated gift bans and disclosure of financial relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and health care providers. The group will be meeting for a rally at the State Capitol building in Hartford at 2 p.m.

The medical students, members of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the nation's oldest and largest, independent association for physicians-in-training, are calling for a ban on most gifts to providers by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. The coalition includes members from the AARP, AFL-CIO, Committee of Interns and Residents, Consumers Union, CT Center for Patient Safety and the Prescription Project. The coalition is lobbying for:

- S.B 1046 - An Act Concerning Access to Prescription Information
Prohibits the disclosure of patient or health care provider specific information regarding pharmaceutical drug prescriptions, otherwise known as data mining, except in very limited circumstances, such as drug recalls. The proposal is based on laws enacted in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

- S.B. 1049 - An Act Prohibiting Certain Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Company Gifts to Health Care Providers
Adopts the provisions of Massachusetts law prohibiting gifts from pharmaceutical and medical device companies to health care providers and their employees. It will require annual disclosure to the Office of the Attorney General by pharmaceutical and medical device companies of gifts and compensation provided to health care providers in excess of $1,000.

"Both of these bills have tremendous impact for physicians in training and the medical community as a whole," says Dan Henderson, a third-year UConn medical student and the AMSA-CIR Health Justice Fellow. "The bills will regulate the marketing activities of pharmaceutical representatives, safeguard the doctor-patient relationship and prevent real and perceived conflicts of interest." "The crucial mandates will also lower health care costs by ending drug reps' practice of analyzing prescribing information and targeting doctors," adds Nitin Roper, also a third-year UConn medical student and AMSA's 2008-2009 National PharmFree Chair.

"Medical students have been leading the movement against conflicts of interest within medicine," says Dr. Brian Hurley, AMSA National President. "Physicians should practice evidence-based medicine using the best existing clinical evidence-not carefully-packaged advertising-and continue to uphold personal and professional integrity."

AMSA launched its PharmFree Campaign in 2002 to encourage medical schools and academic medical centers to develop policies that limit the access of pharmaceutical company representatives to their campuses and prohibit medical students and physicians from accepting gifts of any kind from these representatives. For more information, 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. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at http://www.amsa.org.

Source
American Medical Student Association

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