AAOS guidelines make clear that support from industry must have educational value and improve patient care.
by David Apple, MD
The dictionary defines a gift as something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation. Gifts are often given in appreciation, as thanks, or in response to a favor. Many gifts are given freely and with no strings attached; however, with some gifts there may be an expectation for something in return.
Accepting such gifts frequently or carelessly can lead to abuse and an ethical dilemma for physicians. Test your “Ethics IQ” on accepting gifts by answering the following true/false questions:
1. When attending a drug company dinner and educational presentation, you can accept a Mont Blanc pen as a favor. True or False?
2. An equipment company sponsoring a course offers to pay your fellow’s expenses to the course. You cannot accept the offer. True or False?
3. You are invited to lunch and a tennis game to discuss a new NSAID. You can accept the invitation.
True or False?
4. You are invited to be an all-expenses-paid lecturer at a company-sponsored course. You will also receive an honorarium. You can accept the invitation. True or False?
5. A company representative volunteers to bring lunch for your staff if the physicians attend. You can accept the offer. True or False?
The correct answers
1. False: Attending a drug company dinner with an educational presentation is within ethical guidelines, but accepting a Mont Blanc pen, which has a value of around $100, would be unacceptable.
2. False: A company can provide money for an educational course that can be designated for resident and fellow attendance, but the entity developing the course content also must maintain the authority to determine those who may attend utilizing funds provided by the company.
3. False: A reasonably priced lunch with a discussion of a new NSAID would be acceptable, but adding a recreational event would make this ethically unacceptable.
4. True: An invitation to be a lecturer with all expenses paid for a company-sponsored course that also provides an honorarium is acceptable under the guidelines of the academy’s statement on ethics as well as AdvaMed’s Code of Ethics, the ethical consortium for industry.
5. True: It is acceptable for a company representative to bring lunch for the office staff if the physicians attend as long as the lunch is of reasonable value and the educational content will benefit the patient care.
by David Apple, MD
The dictionary defines a gift as something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation. Gifts are often given in appreciation, as thanks, or in response to a favor. Many gifts are given freely and with no strings attached; however, with some gifts there may be an expectation for something in return.
Accepting such gifts frequently or carelessly can lead to abuse and an ethical dilemma for physicians. Test your “Ethics IQ” on accepting gifts by answering the following true/false questions:
1. When attending a drug company dinner and educational presentation, you can accept a Mont Blanc pen as a favor. True or False?
2. An equipment company sponsoring a course offers to pay your fellow’s expenses to the course. You cannot accept the offer. True or False?
3. You are invited to lunch and a tennis game to discuss a new NSAID. You can accept the invitation.
True or False?
4. You are invited to be an all-expenses-paid lecturer at a company-sponsored course. You will also receive an honorarium. You can accept the invitation. True or False?
5. A company representative volunteers to bring lunch for your staff if the physicians attend. You can accept the offer. True or False?
The correct answers
1. False: Attending a drug company dinner with an educational presentation is within ethical guidelines, but accepting a Mont Blanc pen, which has a value of around $100, would be unacceptable.
2. False: A company can provide money for an educational course that can be designated for resident and fellow attendance, but the entity developing the course content also must maintain the authority to determine those who may attend utilizing funds provided by the company.
3. False: A reasonably priced lunch with a discussion of a new NSAID would be acceptable, but adding a recreational event would make this ethically unacceptable.
4. True: An invitation to be a lecturer with all expenses paid for a company-sponsored course that also provides an honorarium is acceptable under the guidelines of the academy’s statement on ethics as well as AdvaMed’s Code of Ethics, the ethical consortium for industry.
5. True: It is acceptable for a company representative to bring lunch for the office staff if the physicians attend as long as the lunch is of reasonable value and the educational content will benefit the patient care.
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