At Med Schools, It’s ‘Pharm-Free Week’
1 CommentBy Ed Silverman // October 23rd, 2007 // 3:56 pm
Those crazy kids are at it again. The American Medical Student Association is kicking up more dust with its annual campaign to scrub their environment free of pharma reps, free lunches and undue prescribing influence. There are events at schools around the country to enlighten administrators and students. For those curious to know what the AMSA is telling these people, take a peek.
The ‘Pharm Free Policy Toolbox’ offers med students ways to engage administrators and program directors. Among the suggestions - discuss policies about industry-sponsored lunches and ask for alternative lunches to be made available. Make certain that sales reps aren’t allowed in wards and clinics, and that company social events aren’t publicized within the hospital. Urge the hospital and its clinics to stop accepting free samples and promotional materials, and ask that non-biased sources of drug info be available in the school or hospital library, on the wards, and in the clinic.
Clearly, the AMSA, which earlier this year generated considerable attention by ranking med school policies toward industry, is trying to bring some discipline into the equation. And to make its point, the group is trying to set a harsh example - unlike drugmakers that happily give away pens, the AMSA is charging debt-ridden students $1.50 for each ballpoint beauty sporting the AMSA logo, among other items for sale.
Paul Johnson
Academic medicine and pharma are joined in more ways than by just the pizza-toting rep. Of course there is a link between the two via research projects, but there is another relationship being overlooked: take a look at the investment mix of TIAA-CREF, the investment vehicle “helping those in the academic, medical, cultural and research fields plan for and live in retirement.” Go to the website below, click on “Edit”, then “Find” and type in “Pharmaceuticals”, and keep hitting “Next”.
http://www.tiaa-cref.org/pdf/reports/imf/inst_imf_soi.pdf
This search finds only the companies that have “Pharmaceuticals” in their name — but on either side of them in the category are many other pharma/biotech companies. It is not necessary here to tally the total dollar amount invested by TIAA-CREF in pharma/biotech, except to safely say it’s a big number.
The Pharm Free advocates have a point, but should consider offering realistic mechanisms for pharma sales people to interact with hospital personnel. As we can see, both parties are dependent on the others success in the present as well as in the future.