Industrial Marketing and Medical Ethics

Abstract

During its 1987 annual meeting, the American Surgical Association passed a resolution defining as unethical behavior the acceptance by a surgeon of "remuneration or material reward for participating in advertising or other product promotional activity of a health care related industry with no relationship to professional service rendered by the surgeon." Bricker expands on the reasons for this resolution and considers its implications. Acknowledging the interdependent nature of the profession of medicine and the industries that provide the products needed for patient care and research, he cautions physicians to avoid practices that may create bias and threaten objectivity or that result in conflicts of interest affecting patient care. (KIE abstract)