In the Interest of Patients

How often are physicians "influenced" by their financial relationships with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device companies? Are they "prescribing under the influence?" Or, do they have enough common sense to be objective and practice evidence-based medicine even if they have financial relationships with industry?

The AAMC has released a report titled, "In the Interest of Patients: Recommendations for Physician Financial Relationships and Clinical Decision Making."

This new report by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) urges U.S. teaching hospitals to establish policies that manage financial relationships between physicians and industry so they do not influence patient care. "In the Interest of Patients: Recommendations for Physician Financial Relationships and Clinical Decision Making" provides guidance on how academic medical centers can identify, evaluate, and disclose conflicts of interest in clinical care.

You can access the report here: http://www.aamc.org/clinicalcoi

The AAMC also published a report in 2008 titled, “Industry Funding of Medical Education: Report of an AAMC Task Force.”  Meanwhile, the Physician Payment Sunshine Act will certainly lead to a greater level of transparency regarding the financial relationships between physicians and industry. Will it be enough?