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To the Editor: Dr McCormick and colleagues1 found that residents' attitudes and behavior were influenced by the amount of their exposure to pharmaceutical company representatives. As a resident in a program that has a long commitment to independence from pharmaceutical representatives, I support the authors' conclusions.
When patients ask me about the availability of complimentary samples at our practice, I am proud to tell them of our policy barring pharmaceutical representatives. We in the medical profession have primarily our integrity to offer patients; without our patients' trust how can we expect them to follow our advice for treatment or even to forgive us our human mistakes? When I explain to my patients that my recommendations to them are based on studies published with disclosure in journals and not on my gratitude for a "drug lunch," they rarely complain about our lack of free medication.
As I complete my residency and contemplate private practice, I intend to carry on without the influence of pharmaceutical representatives. I will continue to learn about new medications from the literature, and I will buy my pens from the store like the rest of the world.
This letter was shown to Dr Detsky, who declined to respond.—ED.
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
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