FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DEC 20, 2013
Sterling, VA — The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the nation’s largest independent organization for physicians-in-training, commends GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for its decision to change its marketing practices by ending payments to physicians for promoting its products. GSK is the first major pharmaceutical company to take action against widely used marketing strategies that can influence prescribing behavior, create conflicts of interest, and ultimately compromise patient care.
GSK announced this week that it will no longer compensate physicians to speak on its behalf at medical conferences and events. Additionally, its sales representatives will no longer be paid based on doctors’ prescribing habits. However, GSK will continue to educate physicians through “unsolicited, independent” grants, raising concerns about whether this information will remain truly independent.
“This is an encouraging step, and we hope other pharmaceutical companies follow GSK’s lead in ending payments to physicians for endorsing their products,” says Dr. Nida Degesys, AMSA’s national president.
While this policy change is significant, it aligns with a broader effort to increase transparency in financial relationships between physicians and pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Starting in September 2014, the Physician Payment Sunshine Act’s Open Payments database will publicly disclose industry payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals. AMSA will monitor this platform to ensure GSK follows through on its commitment.
AMSA’s PharmFree Campaign helps medical students advocate for evidence-based prescribing practices, eliminate conflicts of interest, and promote global access to essential medicines. The AMSA PharmFree Scorecard provides a detailed analysis of conflict-of-interest policies across medical schools in the U.S. and evaluates institutional policies on industry interactions. Over the next year, the AMSA PharmFree Scorecard will undergo a major revision in its methodology and expand to assess 400 teaching hospitals.
About the American Medical Student Association
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at www.amsa.org.