Medical Industry Interactions

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is joining a number of leading academic medical centers that are strengthening policies aimed at decreasing implicit and implied conflict of interests when faculty, staff, and students interact with representatives of the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and other commercial players in the health care industry. Like medical centers at Michigan, Stanford, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, the new rules govern what industry representatives may do in our facilities and what faculty, staff, and students can do when they interact with industry representatives on any clinical or educational matters.

The underlying principle of the policy is that URMC faculty, staff, and students may not accept gifts (including meals) from industry or its representatives that could bias clinical decisions or create the perception by patients and others that such biases might exist.

The policy is not intended to limit the many positive interactions that occur with industry representatives and their companies, whether in promoting optimal patient care, education, research, or community health. Importantly, the policy does not restrict use of medication samples, educational grants, or industry support of important public conferences and continuing education events.

The new Medical Center policy was extensively shared at various departmental meetings and with a broad range of clinical and administrative leaders, trainees, and students. It was discussed and modified after review by many groups over the past few months, including the Strong Memorial and Highland Hospitals’ Clinical Councils, the Council of the Medical Staff, the Graduate Medical Education Committee, the Ethics Committee, the Therapeutics Committee, the Medical Center Board Quality of Care Committee, and the Medical Center Executive Team led by Medical Center CEO Bradford C. Berk.

The policy covers the following six topics:

To view or download copies of the policy, frequently asked questions, or a PowerPoint summary, go to the following links:

URMC faculty, staff, trainees, and students who have questions about compliance with this policy should contact the URMC Compliance Office (275-1609) or the URMC Office of Counsel (758-7600) for assistance. Individuals with questions about policy development, implementation, or clarifications should contact Robert Panzer, M.D., Associate VP for Patient Care Quality and Safety.