Patient Advocacy Groups Receive Millions From Drug Makers: Conflicts Of Interests?

Patient Advocacy Groups Take In Millions From Drugmakers.  Is There A Payback? by Emily Kopp, Sydney Lupkin, and Elizabeth Lucas.  Kaiser Health News.  April 6, 2018. 

Conflicts Of Interests Does In C.D.C. Director, Former Georgia Public Heaslth Chief

Brenda Fitzgerald, C.D.C. Director, Resigns Over Tobacco And Other Investments by Sheila Kaplan.  The New York Times.  January 31, 2018. 

Payments To Doctors Listed Including Research, Speaking, Consulting, Travel

Detailing Financial Links Of Doctors and Drug Makers by Katie Thomas, Agustin Armendariz and Sarah Cohen.  The New York Times.  September 30, 2014.

AMA Issues Principles For Physician Employment

AMA Principles for Physician Employment.  The American Medical Association.

Doctors Warned on 'Divided Loyalty' by Robert Pear.  The New York Times.  December 28 2012.

The original source document of the policy and a news report about the report are linked above.  The AMA addresses the potential conflicts of interest that can arise as medical practices are bought by hospitals.  The purpose of the statement is to protect the professional autonomy of doctors.  From 2000 to 2010 the American Hospital Association says that the number of doctors employed by hospitals grew by 32 percent, to 212,000.  The AMA also addresses non-compete agreements which are sometimes required for situations when a doctor leaves the employ of a hospital.