Reclaiming the ethics of medicine by
Removing conflicts of interest, and
Restoring the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship

1st AMSA/NPA PharmFREE Creativity Contest Submit your PharmFREE-related multimedia creation for all to see online. Winners will receive a cash prize. Submissions due by June 27, 2008.

PharmFree Regional Coordinators Needed Applications due by April 21, 2008

• Pharm Free Primer - The Basics
  • Pharm Free Meeting Tips
  • Focus on Pharm Free
  • Pharm Free Cheat Sheet
  • World AIDS Day - A PharmFree Perspective and Call to Action
  
  
• Get an unbiased drug information resource at your school - The Medical Letter and AMSA have teamed up to increase access at medical schools to the unbiased information you need to make good clinical decisions. Earn money for your chapter too!
  
  
  • The Medical Letter/AMSA "License It" Campaign
  • The Medical Letter License Program
  • The Medical Letter/AMSA SITE LICENSE Chapter Fundraising Guide
  • Sample Letter to Academic Deans
  
  
• Pharm Free Policy Toolbox - Bring policies to your school
  
  
  • Plan meetings with clerkship directors and program directors
    Discuss policies regarding pharmaceutical company sponsored lunches. Ask them to make alternative lunches available. Make certain that pharm reps are not allowed in areas of patient care (e.g. wards and clinics) and that drug company social events are not publicized within the hospital. Urge the hospital and its clinics to stop accepting free drug samples and promotional materials, and ask that non-biased sources of drug information be available in the school/hospital library, on the wards, and in the clinic. For the most impact, remember to leave a document, such as this, outlining the data in the published literature as well as suggested guidelines to be implemented by the department or program.

    Some existing policies include: Duke University Health System
    
    

  • Lobby for Gift Disclosure Laws
    Many states have proposed laws that require drug companies to disclose gifts to physicians. Vermont and Maine have already passed such laws, and Minnesota has passed an outright ban on gifts over $50 to physicians. Find out if there is legislation in your state, then organize a letter writing campaign or Lobby Day.
  
  
  
• Change Your University’s Policy
  • Sample Letter to Call for Change
  • Writing a Policy
  
  
• Pharm Free Scorecard - How does your school measure up?
  
  
• Take the Pharm Free Pledge today!
  
  
• AMSA Pharm Free Paraphenalia
  • Purchase PharmFree Pens and/or Pins
  • Purchase AMSA's PharmFree T-shirts
  • Download "Pharm Free Liberated" stickers (Avery-5160, 1" x 2 5/8") B&W or Color
  
  
• Change Your Curriculum
  Schedule a meeting with your Dean to discuss incorporating education about the pharmaceutical industry in your curriculum on ethics and professionalism. This may take the form of an ethics PBL, a lecture on Pharmaceutical marketing, distribution, and cost, or a workshop on ethical practices.
  • Revitalize professionalism
  • Pharmaceutical Representatives: An Evidence-Based Review with Suggested Guidelines for Clerkships
  
  
• Take Action!
  
  
• Pharm Free Week: October 22-28, 2007
  • What's happening around the country?
  • What can you do?
  • Pharm Free Week Toolkit for Action
  • National Speaker Database
  • Sample Press Release for Your Local Event
    Contact Anthony Fleg to add yourself to the list.

Vision: AMSA envisions a day when pharmaceutical companies are able to dedicate their resources to creating drugs that physicians choose to use because they are effective in treating disease, not because they are effectively marketed. We envision a day when every medical student and physician is aware of the professional, ethical and practical complications of the current relationship with pharmaceutical company representatives. We envision a day when physicians demand integrity, honesty, and education (not biased information) from members of their profession, for the sake of our patients and their trust in us.