University of Wisconsin Physicians Speak Out Against New Speaker Fee Policies

Physicians at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., have raised concerns about a proposed change to the University's conflict-of-interest rules that would allow physicians to make presentations for medical device manufacturers, but still ban physicians from giving speeches for drug companies, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The new conflict-of-interest policy would apply to 1,200 physicians who work for the UW Medical Foundation. In February, a committee of physicians recommended a ban on "dinner talks" given by physicians on behalf of device and drug manufacturers in exchanges for significant sums of money. The committee said that such financial relationships can "undermine patient trust and threaten the integrity of the medical profession," according to the report.

Physicians outside of UW said that certain amounts of physician interaction with these companies is a good idea, as often physicians teach other physicians at manufacturer-sponsored events, such as new procedural steps for surgical implants, as required by the Food and Drug Administration.

In the report, many commenters supported physician speeches if they were done for free or at less than 20 percent of the physician's income or at a university-sponsored academic event.

Read the Journal-Sentinel's report about UW's proposed exemption to its speaker fee ban.