Wisconsin med society bans pharma gifts

The Wisconsin Medical Society has prohibited its members from accepting gifts-including personal items, office supplies, food, travel and time costs, or payment for participation in online continuing medical education-from any provider of products that they prescribe to their patients.

"This policy is strong and clear," says Steven Bergin, MD, president of the 12,000-member medical society. "It leaves no doubt that the society's physicians want to prevent even the impression that a gift, no matter how small, could get in the way of a physician's decision-making."

The policy goes further by requiring that physicians limit drug samples to patients and instead use a system of vouchers for evidence-based drug choices, and that they should avoid membership on formulary committees where there is a potential perceived conflict of interest. Physicians should also not serve on speaker bureaus for health product companies, according to the policy.