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[Frequency and type of gifts given by pharmaceutical industry to cardiology residents]
Ghassan Moubarak1, Raphaël Pedro Martins, Stéphane Zuily
1Service de cardiologie, Hôpital Lariboisière, 75010 Paris, France. ghassan.moubarak@gmail.com
Insights
Cardiology residents in France frequently engage with pharmaceutical companies, receiving gifts and support for medical education. Most residents view these interactions as appropriate, highlighting a need for ethics training on industry influence.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Education
- Pharmaceutical Industry Interactions
Context:
- Cardiovascular diseases are a leading global cause of mortality.
- Cardiologists are a key demographic for pharmaceutical marketing.
- Understanding resident exposure to industry is crucial for medical ethics.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the extent of cardiology residents' exposure to pharmaceutical companies.
- To assess residents' perceptions of the appropriateness of these interactions.
- To determine the value of gifts and support provided by the industry.
Summary:
- A survey of French cardiology residents revealed widespread interaction with pharmaceutical companies.
- Most residents received promotional items and invitations to congresses, considering them ethically appropriate.
- A significant portion of residents believed gifts valued up to 1000 euros or more could influence judgment.
Impact:
- Findings suggest frequent and generally accepted pharmaceutical industry engagement among cardiology residents.
- Highlights the need for formal training on the ethical implications of industry interactions and prescribing influence.
- Informs strategies for maintaining physician independence and patient-centered care.
Objective:
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world and cardiologists are an important target for the pharmaceutical industry. We evaluated cardiology residents' exposure to pharmaceutical companies.
Methods:
A survey was sent by e-mail in July 2009 to all residents of the Cardiology and Vascular Diseases program endorsed by the French Society of Cardiology.
Results:
The questionnaire was completed by 149 (56%) residents. Among them, 145 (97%) had at least one promotional item in their white coat. Non-educational gifts (such as pens and notepads) and scientific papers reprints are the most frequently received gifts. Pharmaceutical companies have invited 117 (79%) residents to a local or national congress and 42 (29%) to an international congress. Most residents consider gifts as ethically appropriate, particularly scientific textbooks, invitations to congresses and educational seminars. Among the 128 residents who assessed the value of a gift likely to compromise a physician's judgment, 36 (28%) answered < 100 euro, 51 (40%) between 101 and 1000 euro and 41 (32%) >1000 euro.
Conclusions:
Cardiology residents in France frequently interact with the pharmaceutical industry, receiving not only small gifts but also support to their medical education. Interactions with industry are generally considered appropriate and training on their ethical implications and influence on prescribing could be implemented during residency.
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