Conflicts of interest have resulted in biases that have affected clinical decision making and medical research. Most such situations breach the highest standards of medical ethics and are legitimate causes of concern for the medical community, the general public, and legislators. Occasionally, biases and their consequences have been egregious. In an effort to control conflicts and prevent undue influence by industry on medical care and research, new rules and guidelines are being implemented. Most medical schools and many hospitals have developed policies that are consistent with a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges, "Industry Funding of Medical Education." (1) The policies are designed to encourage a culture of ethical professionalism and to avoid conflicts of interest. The written policies at most institutions seek to define acceptable interactions between faculty/employees and companies that produce pharmaceutical products or medical equipment, or that provide services to the medical community. They seek to define relationships between industry and physicians in order to be certain that they are principled and do not result in bias, and that they minimize the influence of companies on patient care, purchasing and prescribing decisions, and medical research.
