The AMSA has been concerned for a number of years about the money, gifts, and free samples that medical schools receive from drug companies. Their concerns have been about the conflicts, the disclosure, and the levels of support from drug companies whose products are being tested at the schools and whose graduates will then be in a position to make patient recommendations on prescription drugs. A recent survey found that just 54% of patients were aware of drug company contributions to the medical centers where they were being treated. Another survey found that only 7 of 150 medical schools surveyed had strong conflicts of interest policies and enforcement mechanisms. There are some straightforward policies that could help.The AMSA has recommended the following since 2006:
·      Industry representatives should not play any role in medical education, whether it be medical school, residency, or continuing medical education (CME)
·      Control of the interactions with the industry within academic medical centers should be within the hands of an independent body that can provide the proper oversight
·      Full disclosure of the nature and extent of industry interactions with physicians should be made to the public
·      Medical school curricula should incorporate teaching on the role of industry interactions and conflicts of interest, including but not limited to evidence-based medicine and continuing medical education
·      Our professional associations should end the practice of supporting and facilitating industry-sponsored medical education, and should examine the relationships they have with industry through the lens of working to insulate themselves from inappropriate influence on medical practice
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