"In 2004, none of the about 140 medical schools in the United States had
a policy dealing with pharmaceutical company relationships. Now about
40 schools have or are in the process of creating one, Fleg said, and
UNC's School of Medicine is one of the institutions now drafting a
policy.
"Our job as doctors is to do the best for our patients,
and if we are being influenced by subfactors, we should try to remove
those subfactors," said, Etta Pisano, vice dean of academic affairs for
the School of Medicine and part of the committee working on the policy.
The policy should be completed within a few months, Pisano said.
Part
of the PharmFree goal is to have medical students sign a pledge now, in
an effort to change the next generation of doctors' behaviors.
Selling Out Our Health Without Disclosure
In yet another example of why our country's medical system is horrifically unbalanced, doctors are taking money from pharmaceutical companies to push drugs on patients without disclosing their financial stake. One group of young medical students is fighting back, trying to keep some integrity in American doctor's offices.