Statement of Principles: APA-Industry Relationship

Abstract

In recent months, the relationships between commercial enterprises and health professional associations have drawn a great deal of attention, 1 DeAngelis C.D. The influence of money on medical science. JAMA. 2006; (E1–3) Google Scholar , 2 DeAngelis C.D. Fontanarosa P.B. Ensuring integrity in industry-sponsored research: primum non nocere, revisited. JAMA. 2010; 303: 1196-1198 Crossref PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar , 3 Campbell E.G. Zinner D.E. Disclosing industry relationships—toward an improved federal research policy. N Engl J Med. 2010; 363: 604-606 Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar , 4 Institute of Medicine Committee on Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice Lo B. Field M.J. Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education and Practice. National Academies Press, Washington, DC2009 Google Scholar , 5 Rothman D.J. McDonald W.J. Berkowitz C.D. et al. Professional medical associations and their relationship with industry: a proposal for controlling conflict of interest. JAMA. 2009; 301: 1367-1372 Crossref PubMed Scopus (255) Google Scholar , 6 Birkhahn R.H. Blomkalns A.L. Klausner H.A. et al. Academic emergency medicine faculty and industry relationships. Acad Emerg Med. 2008; 15: 819-824 Crossref PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar , 7 Camilleri M. Parke D.W. Perspective: conflict of interest and professional organizations: considerations and recommendations. Acad Med. 2010; 85: 85-91 Crossref PubMed Scopus (24) Google Scholar , 8 Cernadas J.M. [Auspicious changes are seen in physicians, professional medical societies and industry relationships]. Arch Argent Pediatr. 2009; 107: 195-200 PubMed Google Scholar , 9 Kofke W.A. Disclosure of industry relationships by anesthesiologists: is the conflict of interest resolved?. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2010; 23: 177-183 Crossref PubMed Scopus (8) Google Scholar , 10 Lo B. Conflict of interest policies: an opportunity for the medical profession to take the lead. Acad Med. 2010; 85: 9-11 Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar , 11 Petak S.M. Coble Jr., Y.D. Duick D.S. et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology position statement on physician/industry relationships. Endocr Pract. 2009; 15: 289 Crossref PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar and numerous associations have published positions regarding these relationships. 11 Petak S.M. Coble Jr., Y.D. Duick D.S. et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology position statement on physician/industry relationships. Endocr Pract. 2009; 15: 289 Crossref PubMed Scopus (4) Google Scholar , 12 Coyle S.L. Ethics and Human Rights Committee, American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine Physician-industry relations. Part 1: individual physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2002; 136: 396-402 Crossref PubMed Scopus (187) Google Scholar , 13 Coyle S.L. Ethics and Human Rights Committee, American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine Physician-industry relations. Part 2: organizational issues. Ann Intern Med. 2002; 136: 403-406 Crossref PubMed Scopus (92) Google Scholar , 14 Society of General Internal Medicine. Policy on acceptance and disclosure of external funds. January 6, 2006. Available at: http://www.sgim.org/userfiles/file/SocietyInfo/ExternalFundsPolicyJan2006.pdf. Accessed August 4, 2011. Google Scholar As the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) pursues development of excellence in health care delivery models, educational and research endeavors, and public policy/advocacy on behalf of children, it sometimes considers establishing relationships with a variety of groups (eg, other associations, foundations, state and federal governmental agencies, private not-for-profit and for-profit commercial enterprises). This statement aims to provide the APA’s Board of Directors (BOD) with a set of principles to guide its deliberations when considering any potential relationship with commercial enterprises.