AMSA
AMSA's Local Chapter Project Directory
| PROJECT DESCRIPTION/CONTACT INFORMATION | |
| Project title | PharmFree Pen Giveaway |
| Project type(s) | Other |
| Date completed | 11/17/2006 |
| Chapter | Boston University SOM |
| Project Coordinator | Theresa Lee |
| Summary of project | To spread awareness of National PharmFree Day and the PharmFree campaign, flyers and free pens were handed out. An email to all four classes was sent explaining the goals of the campaign and some facts about pharmaceutical spending. The second year students were especially targeted because they were in the middle of their Pharm course. A box of free AMSA PharmFree pens and an empty box to collect pharmaceutical paraphrenalia were placed outside the lecture hall. At the beginning of class, I made a short announcement about the impact of pharmaceutical advertisement on us as future clinicians and challenged them not to accept free gifts. They were asked to replace pharma pens in their whitecoats for PharmFree pens as a reminder. Flyers were then handed out with more information about pharma spending and how it affects clinical decision making. |
| Content area | Pharmaceutical Issues |
| Number of participants | 1 |
| Participant hours involved | 3 hour(s) |
| PROJECT PLANNING | |
| Coordinator roles | |
| Coordinator hours | hour(s) |
| FUNDING & ADVERTISING | |
| Total project cost | $150 |
| Project funding | Donation |
| Funding breakdown of sources and/or donations: | |
| Project advertising | class listserves, announcement in class, club bulletin board |
| PROJECT EVALUATION | |
| Success rating (1 = unsuccesful, 5 = very successful) |
5 |
| Lessons/suggestions | Originally I had planned to make an announcement to the first year class but the timing did not work out. If done again, I would plan more activities, like a pen exchange in the hospital, stretched over the week preceding the National Day to call more attention to the campaign. |
| ADDITIONAL COMMENTS | |
| Comments | The pens were a big hit; students gobbled them up. Even if the students did not agree with the campaign, it created a little buzz in class that day. It helped to have the support of the Pharm professor who was happy to lend me time in class to make the announcement. |
