Industry Funding and Support

The issue of industry funding and support to physicians and physician organizations is a challenging quandary faced by today’s health care system. On one hand, support from pharmaceutical companies and other sources is integral to important initiatives, such as educational opportunities for providers, health care projects and research, and charitable programs. On the other hand, some view the acceptance of industry support as a conflict of interest for providers, regardless of the intentions of those providing or accepting support. Such skepticism is not surprising or unwarranted given some of the egregious relationships that have been exposed. At the same time, physician organizations and the pharmaceutical industry alike have taken significant measures to establish standards for relationships and to highlight unacceptable practices.

Resources

AMA Opinion 8.061 – Gifts to Physicians from Industry (ama-assn.org)

Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support (accme.org) 

Report of the Association of American Medical Colleges Task Force on Industry Funding of Medical Education (aamc.org) 

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals (phrma.org)