Individual Physicians and Proprietary Practices Physicians have a unique professional relationship with patients and have an ethical responsibility to place the health and welfare of the patient ahead of economic self interest. Physicians should be mindful that accepting gifts or other subsidies from industry may give the appearance of undue influence and jeopardize the physician-patient relationship. Industry and physicians should recognize that gifts and subsidies to physicians may compromise a physician's ethical principles. Industry should share the responsibility to promote the health and welfare of patients by complying with appropriate guidelines. Guidance for physicians and industry can be found in the current Code of Medical Ethics published by the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association.
Participation also carries certain responsibilities and potential pitfalls.
The policy which follows outlines guidelines for ethical research behavior for family physicians. Medical research, as defined in this document, means research to create new knowledge primarily aimed toward improved patient care and its associated activities. While these ventures may be rigorously designed and of higher caliber research, the primary motive behind marketing research is improved sales, not improved patient care. Many times these studies are sponsored by pharmaceutical corporations and may involved physicians in the community. Such studies can be important because of the wider populations evaluated and community context in which they may take place.