New pharma ethics rules eliminate gifts and meals

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America announced Thursday that it has revised its conduct code for interacting with health care professionals. The updated guidelines ban the knicknacks bearing company and product logos.

Sales representatives are prohibited from providing restaurant meals and entertainment or recreation. But they can still provide the occasional, modest meal in a healthcare professional's office "in conjunction with informational presentations," according to a statement from PhRMA.

The updated code also emphasizes that drug companies should separate any funding they provide for continuing medical education from their sales and marketing departments. It notes that the funding should support education "on a full range of treatment options and not to promote a particular medicine."

PhRMA said meetings between sales representatives and doctors should be focused on informing health care professionals about products, sharing scientific and educational information and supporting research and education.

The new rules take effect Jan. 1.

The association represents pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and is made up of executives from companies in the industry. Its CEO, Billy Tauzin, said he hopes the code additions will create "more credible" standards for doctor-sales rep interactions.

"I don't think you'll find a physician who will acknowledge that the gift of a pen or a cup with a company's name on it influences their prescribing patterns," he said. "But there are people who believe that, and as long as that's a perception out there we felt we ought to end that.

Tauzin said his association got conflicting reactions from doctors about whether to eliminate the free lunches, but he noted doctors are free to stop the meals themselves.

The trade association said in January that it was considering revisions to its 2002 code. Its executives said then that they've seen a backlash over sales and marketing practices.