Drug Co gifts to Minn. docs donated to Cameroon

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Minn. health system purges drug trinkets

By STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press Writer Sat Jan 19, 6:42 AM ET

MINNEAPOLIS - When a Duluth-based operator of hospitals and clinics

purged the pens, notepads, coffee mugs and other promotional trinkets

drug companies had given its doctors over the years, it took 20

shopping carts to haul the loot away.

The operator, SMDC Health System, intends to ship the 18,718 items to

the west African nation of Cameroon.

The purge underscored SMDC's decision to join the growing movement to

ban gifts to doctors from drug companies.

SMDC scoured its four hospitals and 17 clinics across northeastern

Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin for clipboards, clocks, mouse

pads, stuffed animals and other items decorated with logos for such

drugs as Nexium, Vytorin and Lipitor.

Trinkets, free samples, free food and drinks, free trips and other

gifts have pervaded the medical profession, but observers say that's

starting to change.

" We just decided for a lot of reasons we didn't want to do that any

longer, " Dr. Irons, chief of community clinics for SMDC, said

Friday.

So SMDC put together a comprehensive conflict-of-interest policy that,

among other things, limits access to its clinics by drug company

representatives. Employees suggested the " Clean Sweep " trinket

roundup, Irons said.

Ken , a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and

Manufacturers of America, had heard of hospitals and clinics banning

promotional items before, but said SDMC's purge was unprecedented.

" I've never seen nor heard of a systematic roundup of pens and coffee

mugs before, " said. " It's a bit draconian. But the onus is on

us now to do a better job of explaining the job and the importance of

marketing representatives. Unfortunately there are a lot of cynics in

America who want to think the worst. "

SDMC's effort was motivated by a desire to show patients that its 450

doctors were serious about keeping prescription drug costs down and

making unbiased medical decisions, Irons said.

The backlash against the cozy relationships between doctors and drug

makers gained steam from article in the Journal of the American

Medical Association in 2006. It said research had shown that even

cheap gifts, such as pens, can affect doctors' prescribing decisions.

The Prescription Project, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, was

founded to promote the JAMA article's recommendations for countering

aggressive marketing to physicians by the pharmaceutical and medical

device industries.

Marcia Hams, assistant director of the project, said she too hadn't

heard of a roundup like SDMC's, but hopes other health organizations

follow its lead.

" This seems like a pretty aggressive way to kick off a policy like

that, " she said. " It sends an important message, I think, for how a

strict policy can be implemented in an effective way. "

Kaiser Permanente, the country's largest HMO, Veterans Affairs

hospitals and medical centers at several universities have recently

adopted strict conflict-of-interest policies, such as gift bans, Hams

said.

Many of SMDC's items will be going to the health system of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon, which has three hospitals,

and several rural health centers.

Irons said there shouldn't be a conflict of interest in Cameroon

because the advertised drugs aren't available there.

On the Net:

SMDC Health System: http://www.smdc.org

The Prescription Project: http://www.prescriptionproject.org

http://news./s/ap/20080119/ap_on_he_me/drug_trinket_roundup_3