He said there is “much less evidence” of sales representatives around the clinics and school. At one suburban clinic run by the university, sales reps turned in their identification badges in protest; but, he believes, the sales force may have adjusted. He has lately seen an increasing number of medical education programs offered to faculty and staff sponsored by a third party hired by a drug company.
At UC Davis and some of the other institutions, efforts are being made to help patients who previously might have benefitted from receiving free drug samples or devices; these items have been very helpful, especially for lower-income patients, Dr. Albertson noted. The university is going to try to purchase some of the equipment that has been donated in the past, such as training inhalers for asthma patients and supplies for those with diabetes. “We're going to make every effort to buy them” for use by lower-income patients, he added.