Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers
Authors: Jerry Avorn
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Ideas and Opinions2 September 2014Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert LecturersJerry Avorn, MDJerry Avorn, MDFrom Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M14-0847 Annals Author Insight Video - Jerry Avorn, MD In this video, Jerry Avorn, MD, offers additional insight into his Ideas and Opinions piece, "Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers." SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The announcement by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that it will no longer hire physicians to lecture prescribers about its products (1) has triggered a much-needed debate regarding how physicians learn about medications and the role of the pharmaceutical industry in that process (2). Compared with other professions, physicians have become accustomed to a continuing education system that differs substantially from what occurs in many other lines of work. Lawyers, engineers, and accountants do not expect that all of their continuing education requirements will be met by free lectures, often brought to their places of work or top-tier restaurants, complete with ...References1. Thomas K. Glaxo says it will stop paying doctors to promote drugs. The New York Times; 16 12 2013;A1. Google Scholar2. Avorn J. Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs. New York: Knopf; 2004. Google Scholar3. Sagara E. Doctor payments on the decline. ProPublica. 11 March 2014. Accessed at https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/d4d-slopegraph on 18 July 2014. Google Scholar4. Agrawal S, Brennan N, Budetti P. The Sunshine Act—effects on physicians. N Engl J Med. 2013;368:2054-7. [PMID: 23718163] doi:10.1056/NEJMp1303523 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Kesselheim AS, Robertson CT, Myers JA, Rose SL, Gillet V, Ross KM, et al. A randomized study of how physicians interpret research funding disclosures. N Engl J Med. 2012;367:1119-27. [PMID: 22992075] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. U.S. Department of Justice. GlaxoSmithKline to plead guilty and pay $3 billion to resolve fraud allegations and failure to report safety data: largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history. 12 July 2012. Accessed at www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/July/12-civ-842.html on 18 July 2014. Google Scholar7. Tobin L. Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline rocked as yet another bribery scandal emerges. London Evening Standard. 7 April 2014. Accessed at www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/drugmaker-glaxosmithkline-rocked-as-yet-another-bribery-scandal-emerges-9243706.html on 18 July 2014. Google Scholar8. Thomson O'Brien MA, Oxman AD, Davis DA, Haynes RB, Freemantley N, Harvey EL. Educational outreach visits: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000:CD000409. [PMID: 10796542] MedlineGoogle Scholar9. Alosa Foundation. Accessed at www.alosafoundation.org on 18 July 2014. Google Scholar10. NaRCAD. National Resource Center for Academic Detailing. Accessed at www.narcad.org on 18 July 2014. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M14-0847.Corresponding Author: Jerry Avorn, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 1620 Tremont Street, Suite 3030, Boston, MA 02120; e-mail, [email protected]harvard.edu.Author Contributions: Conception and design: J. Avorn.Analysis and interpretation of the data: J. Avorn.Drafting of the article: J. Avorn.Final approval of the article: J. Avorn.Collection and assembly of data: J. Avorn. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement Annals Author Insight Video - Jerry Avorn, MD In this video, Jerry Avorn, MD, offers additional insight into his Ideas and Opinions piece, "Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers." FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoRethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Marc B. Garnick and Wendy Balter Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Kaenat Mulla , Adebusola Shonubi , and Dev Katarey Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Abrar Khan Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Jerry Avorn Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Kaenat Mulla , Adebusola Shonubi , and Dev Katarey Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Jerry Avorn Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Abrar Khan Rethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert Lecturers Marc B. Garnick and Wendy Balter Metrics Cited ByRethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert LecturersMarc B. Garnick, MD and Wendy Balter, MBARethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert LecturersKaenat Mulla, Adebusola Shonubi, iBSc, and Dev Katarey, BMBS, MScRethinking the Use of Physicians as Hired Expert LecturersAbrar Khan, MD 2 September 2014Volume 161, Issue 5Page: 363-364KeywordsDrug marketingDrugsHealth careHealth information technologyMedical educationMedicareMotivationPerceptionPharmacists ePublished: 2 September 2014 Issue Published: 2 September 2014 CopyrightCopyright © 2014 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...