Physician autonomy and the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

The physician–industry relationship is a topic that generates keen interest among physicians globally. This chapter reviews the potential risks and benefits of such relationships in patient care. Physicians must adhere to strict professional standards and strong ethical principles, with the prime interest of offering the best possible care for the patient while using the resources available through pharmaceutical industry partnerships. One must never cross the boundaries in this complex interaction; physicians should continue to be the best advocates for patients, and not the pharmaceutical industry. Other aspects of relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and doctors’, trainees’, and residents’ perspectives in the industry, essential drug policy solutions in Sri Lanka, and several key points from the Australian Medical Association’s position statement on medical practitioner’s relationships with industries, are also discussed.