Majority of Americans support legislation to disclose Pharma gifts to physicians

A majority of Americans (64%) say that it is important to know their physician's financial ties to pharmaceutical companies and 68% would support legislation requiring drugmakers to disclose gifts to doctors, according to the results of a new survey conducted in June by market research group ICR and released by the Prescription Project. The latter is a US partnership aiming to promote evidence-based prescrbing.

The pharmaceutical industry spends more than $7.0 billion annually marketing to physicians, much of that marketing in the form of free gifts - ranging from pens and meals to continuing medical education classes and lucrative speaking engagements.

"Most Americans are unaware that the money pharmaceutical companies spend trying to directly influence physician prescribing patterns is larger then the amount spent on research and development of new drugs," said Robert Restuccia, executive director of the Prescription Project, a national campaign to end conflicts of interest resulting from pharmaceutical marketing to physicians.