Pharma to ban gifts to doctors -- sort of

It is great that PhRMA recognizes the inappropriate influence of industry gifts to prescribers. However, the revisions to the PhRMA Code will not do away with that influence, or the resulting increases in costs and threats to quality, for several reasons.

To start, the industry’s new standards will not be sufficiently strong. The industry has said it will exempt educational items and in-office meals from its standards – two huge loopholes. The term “educational item” is broad and goes far beyond the printed informational materials that most of us would think of as educational. This exemption would sanction the giving of items such as gadgets and expensive software. The in-office meal exemption is also problematic. Many offices get meals brought in by pharmaceutical companies regularly, some as often as daily. In fact, a recent letter from a caterer in Massachusetts estimated that the industry spends $40 million on these in-office meals in Massachusetts. Research shows that meals are hugely influential, and, in fact, messages delivered over meals are more likely to be favorably received.

Additionally, experience shows that industry standards, even if sufficiently strong, cannot adequately address the threat of pharmaceutical gifts to providers. The PhRMA Code on gifts is voluntary and is not adequately enforced. In fact, when Senator Moore asked for examples of PhRMA sanctioning violators of the Code at the March legislative hearing on the Senate President’s cost control bill, the PhRMA representative could not point to a single example. Even if the PhRMA Code were enforced, the PhRMA trade group does not represent all pharmaceutical companies, nor does it represent biotech companies or medical device companies. And, it does not require even its members to comply with the Code.

In order to have an adequate and uniform, statewide standard, the state must implement one legislatively.

It is a pity with all that is wrong with medicine we are wasting time over trinkets and food. So what, the company reps bring in food to get the chance to talk product with the health care provider. We let Pharma put ads on TV direct to patients- who are not qualified to make a judgement on the medications and should not happen- and the Mass House of Reps is wasting time not over this but on trinkets. What is not appreciated by the anti-pharma jihad is the great opportunities for educational interaction that is at least partly funded by Pharma, both at big academic meetings and also locally. This is especially important for the more junior and ambitious physicians. If you are a physician and do not want to interact....then don't.
The interaction of Pharma with providers is an ethical issue and opinions vary. What the Mass Senate had proposed is a very extreme view- not shared by the great majority of providers and any success would be tyranny of the minority.
Fruitful interaction with Pharma is of benefit to patients and all. I am tired of Pharma being painted as bad bad bad- it is not healthy!

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