The Pediatrician and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturer
Editors: Lawrence F. Nazarian, MD.
In our second year of medical school, we students were offered a personalized black bag that was filled with medical equipment by a major pharmaceutical manufacturer. For some, this was a welcome bonanza, freeing precious dollars for other necessities. Others were indignant, viewing the offer as indecent payola for future favoritism. The protestation, "Are you going to allow yourself to be bought?" was countered by, "Is a bag of equipment all it takes to buy you?" The dilemma resurfaced when, as house officers, we had to decide whether to accept free formula for our babies from the friendly manufacturer's representative or to stand firm in the face of lean financial circumstances, refuse the offer, and remain objective in our formula recommendations.
