Medical student exposure to and attitudes about pharmaceutical companies

Medical students are at-risk to the influence of pharmaceutical company (Pharma) marketing. As interactions with the industry come under increasing scrutiny and regulation, previous studies on student-Pharma relations no longer may be accurate. This study assessed students' attitudes toward and interactions with Pharmas at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH).

A modified questionnaire based on a previously administered national survey was completed by students in April and May 2009. The survey was analyzed to disclose the frequency of student-Pharma interactions, where interactions took place, and differences between preclinical and clinical students.

The overall response rate was 53.6% (348/649). Most student-Pharma interactions took place at locations remote from the main campus, with free lunches (70.2%), snacks (66.9%), and small, non-educational items (55.8%) representing the most common gifts. Many clinical students had discussed medical personnel-Pharma interactions with a physician or friend. Of those surveyed, 78% felt they had received limited instruction from the school on how to interact with Pharma representatives. Preclinical students expressed greater uncertainty about using Pharmas as educational resources and were more reluctant to accept Pharma gifts than clinical students.

Student attitudes toward interactions with Pharmas reveal the need for further education and guidance-particularly on the risks of using Pharmas as educational resources. Pharma exposures remote from the main campus account for a high proportion of all interactions, which further highlights the need to educate students on conflicts of interest during their preclinical training.