Involvement of pharmacy faculty in the development of policies for pharmaceutical sales representatives.

BACKGROUND: Few studies evaluating the impact of the pharmaceutical industry on postgraduate medical education have been done. Recently, position statements and professional guidelines have emerged to ensure the integrity of physician-industry relationships in the areas of clinical judgement, research, and medical education.
METHODS: The present study surveyed directors of family practice residency programs in the United States to define the level of pharmacotherapy curriculum development and the existence of policies for pharmaceutical sales representatives.
RESULTS: Of the 383 directors, 325 (85%) responded to a mailed survey. Nearly one third (32%) of the responding programs had pharmacist faculty, the majority of whom held a doctor of pharmacy degree. Approximately 30% of programs reported that they had printed guidelines for pharmaceutical sales representatives.
CONCLUSIONS: Programs with pharmacist faculty are more likely to have a well-developed pharmacotherapy curriculum and printed guidelines for pharmaceutical sales representatives.