Dr. David L. Coleman, interim chair of internal medicine at Yale University, New Haven, Conn., applauded Dr. Brennan's group for “stepping forward with a very bold set of recommendations.” Yale has already implemented strict guidelines prohibiting any gifts from industry representatives, any meals funded by industry, and any payment for attending CME meetings. The Yale guidelines are detailed in a report published in February (Acad. Med. 2006;81:154–60).
“I think banning food and gifts makes things a lot easier, frankly,” he said. “It's so nice to walk into a conference and not have to have that awkward conversation with a drug rep, and not have to feel squeamish about possible conflicts of interest.”
Most physicians interviewed agreed heartily with one proposed reform: ghostwriting. This should be controlled or eliminated, because some companies do influence the wording in research manuscripts, and busy investigators may go along with it, said Dr. Deedwania.