NEW ETHICS CODE LIMITS Rx MANUFACTURER GIFTS TO DOCTORS

Pharmaceutical manufacturers whoattempt to influence prescribing decisionsby offering physicians expense-paidtrips to luxury resorts and cash forattending drug "seminars" will find themselvesin violation of new internationalethical standards that took effect onJanuary 1, 2007.

The new restrictions, adopted by theInternational Federation of PharmaceuticalManufacturers & Associations(IFPMA), allow manufacturers to providephysicians with "modest" gifts that are"work-related," such as stethoscopes ormedical dictionaries. Expensive travel junketsor extravagant gifts of cash or othervaluables are prohibited under the policy.The rules apply to IFPMA's 26 membercompanies, as well as hundreds of otherpharmaceutical firms that belong to thegroup's 46 drug-industry-associationmembers worldwide.