National PharmFree Week
April 8-12, 2013
National PharmFree Week (NPFW) is an annual event to highlight the importance of putting patients first by addressing conflicts of interest and encouraging evidence rather than marketing-based education. NPFW aims to focus the attention of medical, premedical, and allied health students on the importance of understanding the impact and control of financial and professional conflicts of interest in education, research, and patient care. AMSA has put together a wide variety of student and institutional projects for education and policy change which you can learn more about below or by visiting www.pharmfree.org.
This programming was made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program which is funded by the multi-state settlement of consumer fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin. Presented by: AMSA’s PharmFree Campaign
April 9, 2013: Launch of the 2013 AMSA PharmFree Scorecard 12-1pm (EST)
Join National Physicians Alliance & AMSA Online Webcast or Live In-Person
National Grand Rounds
The AMSA Scorecard: The State of Medical School Conflict-of-Interest Policies and Cultivating a New Era of Effective Change
Georgetown University Medical Center, Med-Dental Building, Room SW107,
3900 Reservoir Road, NWSE408, Washington, DC 20057
Speakers:
Reshma Ramachandran, Pharmfree Fellow
American Medical Student Association
Ms. Reshma Ramachandran is a rising fourth year medical student at Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. She is currently serving as the AMSA PharmFree Fellow, overseeing the PharmFree Campaign, which works with medical schools to ensure evidence-based rather than marketing-based medical education and empowers medical students to drive institutional change to mitigate conflicts of interest. She will be discussing the 2012-2013 results of the AMSA PharmFree Scorecard, a tool established in 2007 to grade medical schools on their conflict of interest policies. Now in its fifth iteration, the Scorecard encourages institutions to adopt strong and effective conflict of interest policies.
Daniel Carlat, MD
Director of the Pew Prescription Project
Dr. Daniel Carlat oversees the Pew Prescription Project, which seeks to ensure transparency in physician-industry relationships and promotes policies to reduce or manage conflicts of interest that could affect patient care. He will provide an update on the rationale for upcoming changes to the 2014 AMSA Scorecard and offer institutions the opportunity to learn how best to prepare.
Refreshments Included
For more information please contact: Ann Woloson, NPA Director of Education at ann.woloson@npalliance.net
This event offered as part of the Partnership to Advance Conflict-free Medical Education. This partnership and related materials were made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program which is funded by the multi-state settlement of consumer fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin. Learn more at www.npalliance.org/conflict-free
April 10, 2013: National Opt Out Day
On April 10, AMSA is asking its graduating fourth year members to tell the American Medical Association (AMA) that they are opting out of the AMA Physician Masterfile! As physicians who strive to practice evidence-based medicine, we do not want our personal and prescribing information sold to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
The AMA Physician Masterfile was established by the AMA in 1906 as a record keeping device supporting membership and mailing activities. The Physician Masterfile includes current and historical data for more than 1.4 million physicians, residents and medical students in the United States. Today, sales of the AMA Physician Masterfile totals more than $40 million per year and over 20 percent of their annual revenue.
Want to do more? Write a letter to the editor and share it with your local newspaper.
April 11, 2013: Webinar: Miller School of Medicine AMSA Scorecard Experience
12-1pm (EST)
Come hear about how the AMSA Scorecard spurred the administration and students at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to improve their conflict of interest policies as well as the barriers both current and past to implementing change.
Executive Dean of Education and Policy Dr. Laurence Gardner will be presenting.
Click here to watch online: Microgrants are available for students who wish to host viewing parties of either the live or recorded event.