PROFESSIONMedical groups tout AMA drug industry gift campaignIncreasing federal scrutiny of drug industry marketing practices underlines the importance of voluntary compliance with the AMA ethical guidelines on gifts from industry, experts say.By Jay Greene, amednews staff. Dec. 3, 2001. Physicians and industry sales representatives have another reason to reduce the number of gifts associated with educational activities organized by pharmaceutical and device manufacturers: increasing government oversight. To prevent fraud and abuse, the Health and Human Services Dept.'s Office of Inspector General plans to issue voluntary compliance guidelines next year on the marketing practices of pharmaceutical and device manufacturers. Partly in response to increased government scrutiny and a constant drumbeat of press reports detailing a wide range of gifts to physicians, the AMA in September launched a campaign to educate physicians on the ethics of gifts from industry (http://www.ama-assn.org/go/ethicalgifts). Drug firms and device manufacturers also are participating in the campaign by restructuring their educational training curriculums. "I am encouraged with the level of activity of the groups," said Alan Nelson, MD, chair of the AMA-led gift campaign working group. "Organizations are including the information in their scientific programs and publications. Members of industry are ratcheting up training of sales reps, so there is more understanding." Dr. Nelson said the inspector general's 2002 work plan clearly states the federal government's concern with gifts. "We will evaluate the extent of gifts and payments to physicians from pharmaceutical companies," the Inspector General's Office said in a statement. "In 1990, FDA passed regulations forbidding 'gifts of substantial value' to physicians from pharmaceutical companies," the statement said. "Nevertheless, the pharmaceutical industry currently spends about $12 billion a year on marketing to physicians, and some of these gifts may present an inherent conflict of interest between the legitimate business goals of manufacturers and the ethical obligation of providers to prescribe drugs in the most rational way. Gifts may also violate the federal anti-kickback statute if they are intended to induce referrals."
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Copyright 2001 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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