Medical Schools Graded on Pharmaceutical Industry Policies – Scores Released Today
June 3, 2008 by Becky Ramsey
Filed under Business
The highest ranked school, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA, received an A for its ban on all pharma. gifts and funded lunches, and its model policies regarding consultation and speaking relationships, samples, formularies, on-campus education, and attendance at industry-sponsored lectures & meetings off-campus. Only 7 of the 150 ranked schools received an A, while 60 received failing grades including schools that declined to submit their conflict-of-interest policies and those that failed to respond to requests.
Check out the rankings at AMSA PharmFree Scorecard 2008. In addition to providing really interesting information about the schools’ policies, the site is user-friendly and has a good looking rankings chart.
(Image: Newscom )
Sources:
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
AMSA PharmFree Scorecard 2008
“Survey Of Medical Schools Is Critical Of Perks” – The New York Times, June 3, 2008
Its about time somebody started tracking this. Big Pharma has had its tentacals in our universities for quite some time in the name of research and the secret hand shake. I have witnessed first hand how they have infiltrated our educational institutions to try and continually pressure physicians to use their “product”. Looking at the report card there is still a lot to be done to drive them out. They have infiltrated the government in the same way and right now have a stranglehold on it through there lobbyist and contributions and connections with the FDA. New rules need to be put down and stop them from being able to set foot on any educational institutions regardless of what they are contributing in $$$ towards research.