Physicians and the pharmaceutical industry

Article Abstract:

The relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians regarding continuing medical education and drug development are often controversial. The goal of this partnership should be to advance the state of medical practice and improve patient care. However, it is felt that physicians often fulfill proprietary objectives rather than educational goals. Physicians often accept extravagant gifts or stipends from drug companies and equipment manufacturers for participation in industry-supported programs. The Ethics Committee of the American College of Physicians offers recommendations to individual physicians for responsible and productive partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry. Gifts, hospitality or subsidies offered to physicians by pharmaceutical companies should not be accepted if they will influence the objectivity of clinical judgement. Clinical decisions must be made on the basis of medical knowledge and without commercial influence. Institutional and continuing medical education programs should develop explicit policies for controlling program content. The pharmaceutical industry pays a large amount of money for medical education under the auspices of traditional continuing medical education; these forums often provide the opportunity for introducing commercially oriented content. Professional societies should develop guidelines that discourage excessive industry-sponsored gifts at meetings. Physicians who are a part of practice-based drug trials should conduct their activities with accepted scientific methodology. Clinical drug trials that are promotional schemes to test the use of a new product should not be conducted. The behavior of physicians should be based on whether or not they would be willing to have arrangements between themselves and the pharmaceutical companies generally known. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Pharmaceutical industry, Reports, Ethical aspects, Medical ethics, Graduate medical education, Postgraduate medical education, Pharmaceutical ethics

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An Association for Patient-Oriented Research

Article Abstract:

The Association of Patient-Oriented Research has been founded to promote research in medicine by scientists who continue to work with patients in clinical settings. Ideally, medical research should incorporate both laboratory experiments and clinical observations, integrating science with practical matters of patient care.

United States, Practice

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Young physician-scientists: internal medicine's challenge

Article Abstract:

Departments of medicine should do more to encourage faculty members to engage in research. The number of doctors engaged primarily in medical research has declined since the early 1990s and fewer medical students say they will pursue a career as a researcher.

Editorial

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