Statement attributable to:
Warren A. Jones, M.D.
President, AAFP
AAFP Statement: AAFP Congratulates PhRMA on Promoting Industry Responsibility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
“As president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, I would like to congratulate the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America for putting forth guidelines on gifts to physicians. We applaud their efforts to address this issue.
“The AAFP accepts the AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics as our ethical guidelines on what gifts physicians should accept from industry. It is heartening to see PhRMA promoting industry responsibility with its Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals.
“As a physician, my primary responsibility is to patients. I monitor my interactions with pharmaceutical companies with this in mind. PhRMA’s new code promotes their understanding of appropriate interactions by stating, ‘Interaction should focus on informing the healthcare professional…to maximize patient benefits.’
“By keeping patients foremost in our dealings, physicians and pharmaceutical companies can work together to provide better health care for all.”
“The AAFP accepts the AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics as our ethical guidelines on what gifts physicians should accept from industry. It is heartening to see PhRMA promoting industry responsibility with its Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals.
“As a physician, my primary responsibility is to patients. I monitor my interactions with pharmaceutical companies with this in mind. PhRMA’s new code promotes their understanding of appropriate interactions by stating, ‘Interaction should focus on informing the healthcare professional…to maximize patient benefits.’
“By keeping patients foremost in our dealings, physicians and pharmaceutical companies can work together to provide better health care for all.”
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Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 110,600 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.
Approximately one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 240 million office visits each year — nearly 87 million more than the next largest medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.
To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s award-winning consumer website, www.FamilyDoctor.org.
