FP Report -- 1999 Post-Assembly Edition
Clinical meets ethical
The Congress of Delegates adopted policies on topics ranging from adolescent sexuality to research sponsored by drug companies during its Sept. 14-16 meeting in Orlando, Fla. A few of the delegates' decisions:
- Family physicians should stress abstinence, the most effective method for prevention of unplanned pregnancies and STDs. Responsible sexual behavior is also effective in preventing pregnancies and STDs.
- Adolescents receiving contraceptive services should be accorded strict confidentiality. "Adolescent girls come to me for advice about contraceptives or concerns about pregnancy," alternate delegate Rachel Wheeler, M.D., of Somerville, Mass., told the public health and science reference committee. "Whether I have done a Pap test or STD test is sometimes revealed to parents by third-party billing. This is something we should work on with third-party payers."
- Influenza vaccine should be offered to patients starting at age 50 as a routine matter.
- The Academy should help develop, publish and regularly update an evidence-based, easy-to-use immunization reference.
- It is unethical for physicians to enroll patients in pharmaceutical research studies without documenting informed consent and disclosing to the patients any conflicts of interest, including physicians' payments. "Some physicians are using questionable techniques in recruiting patients and are placing their own financial interest above patients' safety," delegate Rick Kellerman, M.D., of Wichita, Kan., told the Congress. "That's not good research, not good patient care."
- The Academy should work with other groups to develop ethical guidelines for physicians conducting pharmaceutical research in their offices.
- The federal Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act should be amended to allow the FDA to regulate dietary supplements for which medical claims are made.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department. Copyright © 1999 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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