Ethics and the pharmaceutical industry: some ideas for general practitioners

This paper summarizes a report by a working party of the Royal College of Physicians on the relationship between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry. As a member of that working party, and a general practitioner, I have taken the report's points and widened the discussion to involve general practitioners in their relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. At present there are no guidelines specifically for general practitioners. Some of the problems general practitioners have found in their relationship with the pharmaceutical industry are described and some guidelines for general practitioners are suggested, which form a framework for discussion. The College would welcome feedback about the guidelines to help in the drawing up of a code of practice for general practitioners.