Tuesday, November 09, 2010
WVU Has New Policy For Doctors
WEST VIRGINIA...
West Virginia University has adopted a new policy limiting its doctors' dealings with pharmaceutical and medical-supply companies, and Marshall University says it will follow suit Jan. 1.
Medical schools nationwide are re-examining their policies to avoid conflicts of interest, said Dr. Alvin Moss of the WVU Center for Health and Ethics Law. Research has shown that doctors are influenced by freebies, and that can lead to bias when prescribing drugs.
A national survey published Monday suggests doctors across the U.S. have begun to cut financial ties to drug companies because of increased scrutiny from the media, legislators and medical schools. WVU now prohibits all gifts, down to meals, pens and notepads.
Marshall will also ban gifts under its new policy, Dr. Joe Werthammer told West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Freebies may not violate laws or professional standards, he said, but they don't improve patient care, either.
Marshall will also limit doctors' freedom to give speeches on behalf of drug companies.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 2:29 PM 
