Buy your own lunch: No chance of reciprocity

One doctor's crusade against gifts from the drug industry has grown into a small, but vocal, group.

By Kevin B. O'Reilly, AMNews staff. Jan. 16, 2006.

Internist Bob Goodman, MD, says physicians need to stop accepting gifts of any kind from drugmakers. In 1999, a clinic he oversaw as medical director banned drug representatives from visiting or leaving paraphernalia, including free samples. To promote the initiative, he made some buttons that said, "Just Say No to Drug Reps," and later that year, he put his money where his mouth is, founding No Free Lunch, an advocacy group devoted to the crusade.

The group has about 500 members, mostly physicians, although nurses, physician assistants and a few dentists also belong. About the same number have taken the No Free Lunch pledge, vowing not to accept any industry gifts, money or hospitality.

Although small in number, No Free Lunch is making noise. The group created a flap last year when the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians refused to let it set up exhibits at the societies' annual meetings. After Dr. Goodman posted a news release about the matter to the No Free Lunch Web site, AAFP members wrote letters, outraged that their group was denying Dr. Goodman space. AAFP ultimately gave him a booth.

The ethics of how physicians interact with the drug companies continue to be on the front burner, and AMNews reporter Kevin B. O'Reilly recently spoke with Dr. Goodman about his take on the issue.

AMNews: What are you trying to accomplish with No Free Lunch?

Dr. Goodman: We have two goals. The first is to get physicians not to rely on promotional information, and at the same time not to accept gifts from industry. Those two things are related to each other. Fewer physicians would try to obtain information from salespeople if it didn't come with food or money.