This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related articles  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Conflict of Interest  • Medical Ethics  • Alert me on articles by topic

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: Mr Dana and Dr Loewenstein¹ focused their commentary on self-serving bias, which is always a factor in human decision-making, including the decisions of physicians. However, physicians' professional obligation to place their patients' interests above their own should not be overlooked, because it lies at the root of medical ethics and professionalism. To care for patients, for example, physicians often must set aside some personal interests—such as leisure and time spent with family and friends—throughout their careers. Similarly, while physicians expect fair compensation for their services, they also pledge to provide care on the basis of their patients' needs and not to profit unduly from their patients' conditions.

The ethical policy of the American Medical Association (AMA) concerning gifts to physicians from industry² emphasizes that any gifts accepted by physicians individually should primarily entail a benefit to patients. This spirit of dedication to patient welfare and professional integrity . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Michael S. Goldrich, MD
Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs
American Medical Association
Chicago, Ill

RELATED ARTICLES

Psychological Aspects of Gifts From Drug Companies
Dana Katz, Peter Mansfield, Robert Goodman, Leonore Tiefer, and Jon Merz
JAMA. 2003;290(18):2404-2405.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychological Aspects of Gifts From Drug Companies
Gary A. Tarshis
JAMA. 2003;290(18):2405.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychological Aspects of Gifts From Drug Companies
Michael Tansey
JAMA. 2003;290(18):2405-2406.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychological Aspects of Gifts From Drug Companies
Louis Bergeron
JAMA. 2003;290(18):2406.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychological Aspects of Gifts From Drug Companies
Chris McCoy and Lauren Oshman
JAMA. 2003;290(18):2406.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychological Aspects of Gifts From Drug Companies—Reply
Jason Dana and George Loewenstein
JAMA. 2003;290(18):2406-2407.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Social Science Perspective on Gifts to Physicians From Industry
Jason Dana and George Loewenstein
JAMA. 2003;290(2):252-255.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT