AMSA Study Suggests Med Schools Fail To Address COI

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) collaborated with The Prescription Project, an industry watchdog group working to eliminate conflicts of interest in medicine, to develop a rigorous methodology and an interactive Web site that evaluates each school’s policies in 11 areas. See here. Guess what only 21 of 150 medical schools surveyed by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) have strong policies (those graded A or B), according to the AMSA PharmFree Scorecard.

I certainly hope those obsessed with the relationship between industry and the medical profession understand the importance of an appropriate working relationship between the two. Driving wedges between industry and leading researchers, many who are employed in academic institutions, may have serious unintended outcomes. Promulgating onerous requirements to set boundaries for the relationship and imposing those on everybody will not likely solve the concerns. There are known abuses in these relationships. Attempts to resolve those abuses need not involve the entire medical profession. Deal with the exceptions in industry and in the profession and work to strengthen practices that are exemplary demonstrations of appropriate relationships between two absolutely essential players in health care — the physician and industry.