Proprietary Practices, AAFP Policies on

From time to time, the Academy will be approached by outside, proprietary entities seeking the Academy's endorsement, or participation in a specific project, service, or item of information. In reaching a decision as to whether or not Academy participation or endorsement is appropriate, the following decision elements should be used:

Is there an appropriate balance between the interests of the proprietary entity and the interests of the Academy, as a member service organization;
Is the project, service or item of information consistent with the AAFP's intent to provide responsible advocacy for and education of patients and the public in all health-related matters;
Is the information or service to be provided accurate and relevant to members' needs and interests;
Is the information or service provided devoid of specific product endorsement;
Is the entire information package, or service provided, when reviewed as a whole, ethical in its approach;
Is there full disclosure of the sponsor's participation;
In those cases where such consideration is appropriate, is the Academy willing to enter into a specified relationship with an outside entity to the exclusion of similar such relationships with other entities.

When the above questions can be answered satisfactorily, in the judgment of the appropriate Academy commission, committee and Board of Directors, then it is deemed appropriate that the Academy enter into the proposed relationship. (B1990) (2008)

The AAFP affirms the AMA Council of Ethical and Judicial Affairs Opinion E-8.061, entitled "Gifts to Physicians from Industry" (December 1990, Updated June 1996 and June 1998) [note: not sure whether to mention the Addendum II] , and the ACCME "Updated Standards for Commercial Support" (adopted by ACCME in September 2004, adopted by AAFP in March 2005). The former should serve as a guide to individual members; the latter should serve as a guide for the development of all continuing medical education activities by the AAFP.

The AAFP is of the opinion that the AMA guidelines are open to interpretation. The AAFP believes that it has the right and responsibility to interpret the guidelines for the organization and its members on an ongoing basis.

The AAFP extends the AMA guidelines to cover relationships with all proprietary health-related entities that might create a conflict of interest rather than limiting the application of the principles to "pharmaceutical, device and medical equipment industries." (1991) (2008)

The AAFP opposes federal or state government efforts to enforce these guidelines. The issue of enforcement is the responsibility of physicians and their organizations. (1991) (2008)

AAFP's Education Activities

The AAFP affirms that it must maintain responsibility for control over the selection of content, faculty, education methods and materials in all of its continuing medical education activities, to ensure objectivity, balance, scientific rigor and independence. "Responsibility" and "control" are to be interpreted as follows: Program development, including agenda preparation and speaker selection, will be conducted by the AAFP.

The AAFP appreciates the financial support given to its continuing medical education programs by proprietary entities. Any funds for this purpose must be in the form of an educational grant made payable to the AAFP as the accredited sponsor for the support programming. (1991) (2008)

Individual Physicians and Proprietary Practices

In any activity or interchange involving a pharmaceutical or other health care product industry, the physician needs to be sensitive as to whether the activity is primarily educational rather than promotional and, accordingly, must make an appropriate response. In many cases, the burden of decision regarding the appropriateness of an activity may fall to the physician, who may be called upon to investigate an activity's agenda, participants, intent, and expected outcome to arrive at such a decision. (1991) (2008)