Dr. Friedman served on the Task Force for the new healthcare vendor
policy. His presentation will outline the background which led to the
policy, its key elements, the plan for implementation and monitoring,
and what the future will likely bring. Key questions for discussion
include:
• What ethical issues was the healthcare vendor policy meant to
address?
• What are the practical and ethical consequences of the new policy?
• How might restrictions affect patients in need, e.g., free
medication samples?
• What leads vendors to provide free items? What are the advantages
and disadvantages for healthcare at UC?
• How does the new policy affect relationships with industry? Why
might this matter?
• Realistically, how does policy get monitored?
• Assuming reasonable compliance, how effective is the new policy in
reducing perceived or real conflicts of interest?
