What residents don't know about physician-pharmaceutical industry interactions.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about the knowledge and skills internal medicine residents need to interact appropriately with pharmaceutical industry representatives. The authors conducted a needs assessment of current knowledge and preferences for potential components of a new educational initiative among residents.


METHODS
In 2001, a two-page questionnaire using a five-point ordinal scale was mailed to all internal medicine residents and faculty at one institution. Analysis included use of Wilcoxon two-sample test.


RESULTS
Response rates were 97% (85/88) for residents and 79% (86/109) for faculty. Residents and faculty's knowledge about formal position statements or literature on the impact of marketing strategies on prescribing patterns, drug marketing costs, or how pharmaceutical representatives are trained to interact with physicians was very limited. Most responders felt residents should learn to critically interpret promotional materials, recognize potential for conflict of interest, and consider how patients perceive the physician-pharmaceutical industry relationship. More faculty than residents valued including position statements (66% versus 39%, p <.001) and literature exploring the impact of marketing on prescribing patterns (70% versus 41%, p <.001) in education. Only one-half or fewer favored small-group discussions, lecture series, critical-reading skills seminars, or panel discussions.


CONCLUSIONS
Internal medicine residents and faculty reported low levels of knowledge about physician-pharmaceutical industry relationships. Some consensus about educational components existed, but optimal educational formats remain uncertain. A six-hour curriculum to address this complex, emotionally charged topic was developed, implemented, and evaluated.
Watkins
Raquel S
RS
Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences ,School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. rwatkins@wfubmc.edu
Kimberly
James
J
D003479:Curriculum / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000193:education*; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009657:North Carolina