Subliminal Impact of Trivial Freebies Influences Brands of Drugs Favoured by Medical Students

Even trivial gifts like clipboards and notepads from drug companies to medical students -

"We know that even trivial gifts operate on an unconscious level and influence us in ways we don't appreciate ourselves," said David Grande, whose study was published yesterday in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Read article on the website of the Globe and Mail (Canada)

Drug company freebies undermine patient trust in doctors

All 'gifts' should be banned, says a report from the Royal College of Physicians
Drug company handouts to doctors, in the shape of flights to conferences, hotel stays, meals and gifts, must end to re-establish patients' trust in prescribers, a high-level inquiry has urged. A report from a working group of the Royal College of Physicians, with members from the pharmaceutical industry as well as patient representation, found that there were widespread suspicions about the relationship between the drug companies and doctors. A picture of "relentless pressure on doctors exerted by pharmaceutical marketing, masquerading as education, is common," says the report.
Read article in the Guardian (UK)