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To the Editor: Dr Kassirer¹ is concerned about gifts to physicians from pharmaceutical companies. I agree with him completely and in my practice do not accept gifts or free meals from pharmaceutical companies. We do accept samples, which we dispense to patients who are having a difficult time paying for medications. However, Kassirer failed to address the fact that medical journals are supported by pharmaceutical company advertising. Without this source of revenue I believe all medical journals would probably cease to exist. Does this create a conflict of interest?

Alan B. Echikson, MD
St Barnabas Medical Center
Livingston, NJ

1. Kassirer JP. Financial indigestion. JAMA. 2000;284:2156-2157. FREE FULL TEXT

To the Editor: My father, who directed a medical training program for years, had a philosophy that residents should have free access to drug company representatives because he felt that he trained residents well and that they would realize that drug representatives are good sources for free pens and free lunches . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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