The Medical Freedom Channel

“Vanderbilt University Medical Center has decided to stop doctors, faculty members and others who work on campus from accepting meals or gifts from the drug industry in a bid to reduce the companies’ influence on patient care and trim spending on drugs. Under a new conflicts of interest policy, most employees and students would no longer be allowed to accept lunches, pens with logos or other freebies from pharmaceutical companies or other suppliers. The move comes as a vocal cadre of doctors, including many at other top academic medical centers such as Stanford and Yale, as well as patient advocates, say overly close ties to drug companies can hurt healthtecare and expose patients to the costliest of drug choices.” (01/31/08)