Medical Students Declare 'Pharmfree Day' to Combat Biased Industry Temptations

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 08 Dec 2004 - 9:00 PDT


The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the nation's largest, independent medical student organization, with nearly 50,000 members, today announces National PharmFree Day, the first annual day of action where medical students, residents and physicians will speak out against the pharmaceutical industry's biased marketing practices.

Medical students will hold events nationwide on December 8th, promoting honesty, integrity, humility and accountability in medical education and beyond. AMSA has been collecting pharmaceutical marketing paraphernalia from medical students over the past few months and will rid themselves of the items at the national launch of National PharmFree Day at New York University.

"With convincing evidence that marketing shapes prescribing habits, it is time that medical students and the medical community as a whole examine their relationship with the pharmaceutical industry," said Dr. Brian Palmer, AMSA national president. "Physicians should base their prescribing practice on the best medical evidence. By speaking out against biased marketing, we can revitalize professionalism in medicine. Patients rightly expect and deserve this from their physicians."

Today, there are more than 90,000 pharmaceutical representatives, providing free lunches, symposia, samples and marketing pamphlets. These enticements are designed to influence doctors to prescribe more drugs and more expensive drugs and have often become a substitute for objective medical evidence. The pharmaceutical industry claims that high priced pharmaceuticals are essential to offset the expense of research and development, yet the number of research jobs has remained virtually the same since 1995, while the marketing staff has increased by over 50 percent in the past four years.

AMSA developed the PharmFree Campaign in collaboration with No Free Lunch and Dr. Bob Goodman two years ago to educate and train medical students to professionally and ethically interact with the pharmaceutical industry. AMSA is the only medical student organization to ban all pharmaceutical advertising in its publications and events.

National PharmFree Day is supported by Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports magazine) and The Medical Letter. For more information on AMSA's PharmFree initiatives, please visit: http://www.amsa.org/prof/pharmfree.cfm.

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 nearly 50,000 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 universal healthcare, disparities in medicine, diversity in medicine and transforming the culture of medical education. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at http://www.amsa.org.

Kim Becker, Director of Public Relations
American Medical Student Association
Phone: (703) 620-6600, ext. 207
Email: prel@www.amsa.org

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