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Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences | |
| City: Bethesda | State: MD | |
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Commentary: A special case, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is governed by overarching policies of the Department of Defense and the executive branch. Because of their specific (yet not medical-school-specific) nature, a follow-up phone call was required to understand how these policies applied to faculty and trainees at USU. This was a departure from an otherwise uniformly blinded scoring process. It was decided to include their assessment with this caveat, rather than omit USU from the Scorecard.
Updates: This institution did not submit any new or additional policies for the 2012-13 AMSA PharmFree Scorecard. This institution's evaluation was last updated: 12/05/10 |
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| Gifts & Meals |  |
This policy does allow gifting, but contains very strict controls. Gifts are capped at $50 max per year, and $20 max per instance. Still, a complete ban on gifting would seem to be a simpler and stronger policy choice. |
| Consulting relationships | |
The University requires strict review of all external relationships. A contract is not required, but a high level of detail is required in individual reporting for review. |
| Industry-funded speaking relationships | |
Stringent review (as above) is a substantial limit on speaking relationships. Speakers may only speak on areas of general expertise. Their presentation may not be more than 10% on their specific (government) research. Longevity of speaking relationships is not addressed in the policy, although stringent review may help to prevent participation in speaker's bureaus. |
| Disclosure |  |
This policy stipulates public disclosure for employees above a certain pay level, and private disclosure for those involved in procurement etc. However, there is no general disclosure provision. |
| Pharmaceutical samples |  |
Military teaching hospitals may have samples policies, but USU itself does not dispense prescription drugs. |
| Purchasing & Formularies |  |
Recusal is required for individuals in decision-making bodies when they have financial relationships with the entity under consideration. |
| Industry Sales Representatives | |
Vendor access policies are hospital-specific and not regulated by USU. However overarching policy does require vendors go through a contracting office to show their products. |
| On-campus Education | |
This policy seems to only address CME activity, rather than all on-site education. For CME, the policy says USU must be responsible for content and speaker selection. A stronger policy would ensure funds are anonymized and establish a process for content review to ensure independence. |
| Attendance at Industry-Sponsored Lectures & Meetings Off-Campus | |
Travel funds for off-site event attendance must be approved. Gifts for attendance are prohibited under gifts policy. |
| Industry Support for Scholarships & Funds for Trainees | |
Oversight of scholarship funds in place. |
| Medical school curriculum | |
It was unclear whether medical school curriculum covers explicitly pharmaceutical interactions with physicians and trainees. |
| Do the policies specify an oversight mechanism? |  |
Significant oversight established in policies. |
| Are there explicit sanctions for noncompliance? | |
Well-delineated sanctions established in policies. |
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 | Model policy |
 | Good progress toward model policy |
 | No policy, or policy unlikely to have a substantial effect on behavior |
 | Did not report |
 | Policy not relevant to this institution (e.g., does not make purchasing decisions) |
