AMA to San Francisco Chronicle: A workable solution against unwanted drug marketing

San Francisco Chronicle
Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

The American Medical Association has the only viable solution for insulating physicians from unwanted interactions with pharmaceutical salespersons and the inappropriate use of their prescribing data (Prescription mining raises millions for doctors' group, July 25).

Groups that reject the AMA's proactive solution do not offer any workable alternatives for protecting physicians from unwanted drug marketing. These groups favor over-reaching legislative bans on the use of physician prescribing data. This alternative, however, has been rejected by lawmakers as impractical due to a federal court decision which found legislative bans violate U.S. constitutional protections.

Concerned physicians do not have to wait for meaningful protections. While the AMA does not collect physician prescription data, it has used its leverage and influence to give physicians control over their prescribing data. Physicians can now use the AMA's Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP) to designate their prescription data as off-limits to drug salespeople, and register complaints against drug companies or their sales staff who use the data inappropriately.

Nearly 9000 physicians have now chosen to protect their prescribing information through the PDRP. Only the AMA can guarantee the nation's physicians this choice. Without the AMA's involvement, private companies would fill the void and refuse to give physicians a voice in how their prescribing data is used by drug companies.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Langston, MD
Chair, American Medical Association