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Annals of Family Medicine 3:82-85 (2005)
© 2005 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.
doi: 10.1370/afm.259
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Essay

The Company We Keep: Why Physicians Should Refuse to See Pharmaceutical Representatives

Howard Brody, MD, PhD

Department of Family Practice and Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Howard Brody, MD, PhD, Department of Family Practice, B-100 Clinical Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 brody{at}msu.edu

ABSTRACT

Whether physicians ought to interact with pharmaceutical sales representatives (reps) is a question worthy of careful ethical analysis. The issue presents a challenge to both professional integrity and time management. Empirical data suggest that interactions with pharmaceutical reps increase the chances that the physician will act contrary to duties owed to the patient. Ideally, a physician might both interact with reps and also do the research necessary to counteract the commercial bias in their messages. But a physician who actually did that research would, in turn, be devoting a good deal of time that might better be spent in other activities. The counterargument, that one is obligated to see representatives to obtain free samples to best serve one’s patients, can be shown in most practice settings not to be compelling. Physicians ought to refuse to visit with representatives as a matter of both professional integrity and sensible time management.

Key Words: Drug industry • ethics • health care delivery • health services research




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TRACK Comments:

Read all TRACK Comments

Pharmaceutical Rep Addiction
John G. Scott
Annals of Family Medicine, 28 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Physicians and Pharmaceutical Representatives: Too Close for Comfort
John A Zweifler
Annals of Family Medicine, 28 Jan 2005 [Full text]
The Ethics of Food
Adam O. Goldstein
Annals of Family Medicine, 29 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Re: Pharmaceutical Rep Addiction
Gordon Rafool
Annals of Family Medicine, 29 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Advertising prescription drugs
Jon R. Hager
Annals of Family Medicine, 29 Jan 2005 [Full text]
What about Direct to Consumer (DTC) advertising?
Timothy W. Fior
Annals of Family Medicine, 30 Jan 2005 [Full text]
time management
Michael J Kelly
Annals of Family Medicine, 31 Jan 2005 [Full text]
Meeting with drug reps -- why we shouldn't do it.
Jerome R Hoffman
Annals of Family Medicine, 2 Feb 2005 [Full text]
Re: The Company We Keep
Samuel Neil Grief
Annals of Family Medicine, 2 Feb 2005 [Full text]
The costs of a free lunch
Cheryl A. Bettigole, MD
Annals of Family Medicine, 3 Feb 2005 [Full text]
Sweeping off our own back porch
John J Frey
Annals of Family Medicine, 7 Feb 2005 [Full text]
Response about drug reps
David L mitchell
Annals of Family Medicine, 14 Feb 2005 [Full text]
Other sides of the issue--a resident's comments
Joseph Y. Deng
Annals of Family Medicine, 14 Feb 2005 [Full text]
My Vituperation
H. John Blossom
Annals of Family Medicine, 6 Mar 2005 [Full text]
Samples and gifts
Andrew S Alpart, MD, MPP
Annals of Family Medicine, 28 Mar 2005 [Full text]
Surviving on the Largess of Big Pharma
Leo R. Leer
Annals of Family Medicine, 3 Apr 2005 [Full text]
When a DOCTOR is the rep
James R. Little, MD
Annals of Family Medicine, 12 Apr 2005 [Full text]
The Company We Keep: All bad apples????
H Wags
Annals of Family Medicine, 11 Jul 2005 [Full text]
Thanks - speaking the truth on an issue/realm that sorely needs it!
Anthony Fleg
Annals of Family Medicine, 2 Dec 2005 [Full text]
Information Necessary
A E
Annals of Family Medicine, 19 Jan 2007 [Full text]
Reply to AE
Howard Brody
Annals of Family Medicine, 21 Jan 2007 [Full text]

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