Proposals to Reduce Industry Dependence

General Budget Support From Industry: Professional medical associations (PMAs) should work toward a complete ban on pharmaceutical and medical-device industry funding ($0), except for income from journal advertising and exhibit hall fees, and should move immediately to restrict total support to no more than 25 percent of their operating budgets.

Annual National Conferences and Periodic Regional Meetings: Under no circumstances should PMAs collaborate in industry marketing activities or profit from them.

Industry Funds for Research by PMAs and Members: Research awards should be peer reviewed without any involvement from industry, and the PMA and the investigators—not industry—should control the data, determining when and where findings should be presented and published.

Industry Funds for Fellowships and Training Programs: Fellowships should not be named after the pharmaceutical or medical-device company sponsors, and no conditions may be attached to the gift. Appointees should not know which company underwrote their fellowship or travel.

Committees That Formulate Practice Guidelines or Outcome Measures: Under no circumstances should PMAs accept funding from industry to develop practice guidelines or outcome measures.

Industry Support of PMAs' Publications: No PMA publication should bear the logo of a drug or device company. The PMAs should not accept industry funding for journal supplements.

Product Endorsements: PMAs should never solicit or accept any offer that would attach their name or logo to a commercial product, service, or activity.

Affiliated Foundations: Affiliated foundations must be held to the same standards on conflict of interest as the parent PMA. Gifts and grants from industry should be governed by the policies in effect at the parent PMA.

Conflict of Interest Among PMA Presidents, Officers, and Board Members: President and officers of a PMA should be conflict-free ($0 threshold) during their tenure. Board members should be asked to sever all financial ties to industry during their term of service.

Guidance for PMA Members: As PMAs strengthen their organizational conflict-of-interest policies, they should use the principles and standards developed by the organization to influence and lead their members in adopting similar standards.