2011-2012 PharmFree Scorecard
The AMSA PharmFree Scorecard evaluates conflict-of-interest policies at each medical school in the United States, with a focus on interaction between students or faculty and the pharmaceutical industry. Using letter grades to assess schools’ performance in eleven potential areas of conflict, the Scorecard offers a comprehensive look at the current and changing landscape of conflict-of-interest policies across American medical education, as well as more in-depth assessment of individual policies that govern industry interaction.
The AMSA PharmFree Scorecard, developed by AMSA and the Pew Prescription Project, found that in 2010 more than 50% of medical schools (79 of 152 medical schools) received a grade of A or B for their policies governing pharmaceutical industry interaction with medical school faculty and students.
The PharmFree Scorecard methodology was developed jointly by AMSA and the Pew Prescription Project, an initiative of the Pew Health Group. Assessed domains are broadly consistent with those identified in recent literature – primarily Brennan et al. Health Industry Practices that Create Conflicts of Interest: A Policy Proposal for Academic Medical Centers. JAMA 2006; 295(4): 429-433. A qualitative decision-tree instrument is used to capture key criteria within each domain.