Medical Leaders to Propose Curbs on Pharmaceutical Conflict of Interest
Only a policy that precludes acceptance of outright financial support from pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers can meet the most rigorous standards for independence and integrity.
Calling professional medical associations’ (PMAs) dependence on funding from pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers a threat to quality patient care and professional integrity, a group of influential medical leaders today urged these organizations to reduce and eventually eliminate industry contributions. In an article appearing in the April 1 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the authors, which includes past and present leaders of medical societies, said PMAs need to “work toward a goal of $0 contributions from industry,” excepting revenues from journal advertisements and exhibit hall fees. The authors put forth a detailed package of recommendations to guide PMAs in this effort.
This represents the first time that such a distinguished group of leaders in medicine has uniformly sought to restrict ties between industry and medical specialty organizations. Writing as individuals, not as representatives of their organizations, the authors include physicians who have been or are now at the helm of a number of the major PMAs. (more…)
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