By Joanna Sax
A recent article in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (Vol. 41:1, pp. 315-22) nicely describes the contours of Physician Payment Sunshine Act (PPSA) on pharmaceutical marketing. Similar to other policies addressing financial conflicts of interest, the lion’s share of the PPSA focuses on disclosure. That is, pharmaceutical companies will be required to disclose how much money they are “giving” to physicians. A financial conflict of interest can arise when the gifts of money unduly influence a physician’s prescribing habits.
I’ve previously argued here, here and here that the system of disclosure is inadequate to properly address financial conflicts of interest. Disclosure does only that; it discloses. So now people know about it – that’s it. Instead of a system that increases disclosure, I’ve proposed changes to the underlying environment to decrease or eliminate the possibility of a conflict of interest arising.
My research on financial conflicts of interest focuses on scientists at academic medical centers. I’ve suggested that if academic scientists are in stressful situations, such as worrying about funding, they might be more likely to enter into a situation in which a conflict of interest might arise. For this reason, if we change the underlying environment of our academic scientists such they are not living in a state of chronic stress, then they might make different decisions, which in turn should lead to fewer situations in which a conflict of interest might arise.
Private physicians operate in a different world than scientists at academic medical centers. I’m curious if readers have suggestions to change the environment of private physicians such that they will be less likely to enter into situations in which a conflict of interest might arise.