Marketing at Academic Medical Centers under Attack
BY LAING RIKKERS, FEBRUARY 2, 2006
Doctors pushed back against marketing and commercial pressures from the pharmaceutical and medical device industries last week. On January 25, the American Medical Association (JAMA) published "Health Industry Practices That Create Conflicts of Interest: A Policy Proposal for Academic Medical Centers". The article, co-written by doctors, PhDs, lawyers and public health experts from many leading U.S. universities, outlines the "unhealthy relationship between manufacturers and the medical profession" and suggests guidelines for Academic Medical Centers to reduce conflicts of interest.
The article states that although industry has started to regulate itself more closely as a result of highly publicized investigations, problems still exist at the level of the physician. Conflicts of interest stem from payments for attendance at conferences, CME credits, and research grants, as well as, consulting relationships and gifts. The recommendations are more stringent than those from industry groups such as the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. The authors argue that even small gifts exert influence over decision making and can lead to negative consequences for patients and the quality of research results.
Without a doubt, between more strictly enforced legal requirements and potential shifts in medical center policies, the orthopedic industry can expect more changes in how it markets to and collaborates with surgeons.
