Should GPs meet with drug company sales reps?

Who is right here?



http://ift.tt/1yRUbst

Quote:

A group of GPs are launching a new campaign to stop doctors from meeting drug company sales representatives. Doctors and academics devised the No Advertising Please campaign to combat the hard sell used by pharmaceutical companies.[...] The No Advertising Please campaign is calling on all GPs to make a pledge and display a sign saying they will refuse to see drug company sales representatives. Although the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says the companies make a valuable contribution to education and research, campaigner Dr Justin Coleman wants doctors to stop seeing drug company representatives completely.[...] AMA representative Dr Brian Morton said he is visited by sales representatives at his Sydney medical practice most days, but does not see any need to stop the meetings. "I think the campaign is a bit silly, it's insulting to doctors, it's also rather naive; our world revolves around education and information and the pharmaceutical companies are an important source of money for research, so every Australian will benefit from that research and pharmaceutical promotion," Dr Morton said.

Or is it a case of some drug company reps having a bad influence and some good, and some doctors being more easily influenced and some not? I'm inclined to think so, but is it more one type of influence than another?



I'm really undecided on the matter, and am hoping for some educated opinions.