BMJ  2007;334:64-65 (13 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39087.480069.DB

News

Drug makers end free lunches

Fred Charatan

1 Florida

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

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has revised its code of ethics for the first time in a decade. The new code bars gifts or money from the pharmaceutical and medical device industries that could influence doctors' choice of drugs or devices they prescribe for their patients.

The 26 companies that belong to the federation, along with hundreds of other drug makers, will be bound by the revised 21-page code.

Big pharmaceutical companies sponsor continuing medical education, free meals, honorariums for lectures, and expenses for travel, and they give away free samples of drugs through their sales representatives.

The IFPMA's director general, Harvey Bale, said that the resulting entanglement between the companies and doctors has become widespread and has "not helped" the industry's reputation. Studies have shown that the relationships influence doctors' prescribing behaviour (BMJ 2006;332:255).

Dr Bale said, "We need to make sure the product . . . [Full text of this article]


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