BMJ  2005;331:653 (24 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7518.653-a

News

Doctors refuse space to group fighting drug company influence

New York

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

One of the largest doctors' groups in the United States, the American Academy of Family Physicians, has refused to rent exhibition space to a campaigning group that says that pharmaceutical industry promotions are leading to bad patient care. But the academy has agreed to rent space at its annual scientific assembly to the fast food giant, McDonalds, alongside various pharmaceutical companies.

The academy, which will hold its annual scientific assembly in San Francisco from 28 September to 2 October, has refused to allow the non-profit making organisation No Free Lunch, based in New York, to rent exhibit space at the conference.

No Free Lunch is an organisation of doctors and other healthcare professionals who want to "encourage healthcare practitioners to provide high quality care based on unbiased evidence rather than on biased pharmaceutical promotion." The group urges doctors not to accept gifts or food from drug companies because "there is . . . [Full text of this article]

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In brief
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Ridiculous decision, thankfully now reversed

Peter J Flegg
bmj.com, 23 Sep 2005 [Full text]

Strange but true

John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 24 Sep 2005 [Full text]

Re: Strange but true

Nora W. Coffey, et al.
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2005 [Full text]

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