PharmFree Model Curriculum

Since 2002, AMSA’s PharmFree Campaign has encouraged a relationship between physicians and the pharmaceutical and device industries that prioritizes patient care. In recent years, evidence has mounted demonstrating the negative influence that industry sometimes exerts on the medical practice, spurring calls for reform by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC). Both institutions issued reports that identified the need to change the way that physicians interact with industry, including the education that physicians in training receive.

Today, physicians interact with the pharmaceutical and device industries on a daily basis, yet theyreceive little education on how to appropriately manage these relationships. Building from the IOM and AAMC reports,AMSA calls on medical schools to implement curricula that prepare students to interact with industry in a way that protects individual patients, promotes public health, and preserves the public trust in medicine.AMSA’s Model PharmFree Curriculum aims to provide students with the knowledge and analytical skills necessary to:

1) Understand the nature of conflicts of interest and how they pertain to the practice of medicine;

2) Recognize how industry can impact clinical care and develop strategies to mitigate the negative             influzences; and

3) Properly manage industry relations to maximize patient and societal benefit.

“Evidence and Recommendations for a Model PharmFree Curriculum” is guide for students, faculty
and administrators looking to incorporate a Model PharmFree Curriculum into existing curricula.

This guide discusses:

• Five curricular competencies necessary for meeting the objectives of the Model PharmFree Curriculum described  above.
• Strategies for teaching about conflict of interest, including an overview of literature on effective methods of teaching and instruction techniques that have been employed atmedical schools throughout the world. AMSA recommends a variety of interactivemethods of instruction to engage even skeptical students.

• Involvement of industry in education about conflict of interest. AMSA believes that the risks of involving industry in the education process outweigh the benefits, thus industry participation is strongly discouraged.

• Management of conflict of interest in education, including disclosure and prohibition of conflicts. AMSA recommends prohibiting conflict of interest in preclinical courses and disclosure for all physicians involved with instruction on the wards.