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J. Thomas Corpus
University of Florida College of Medicine Gainesville

JAMA. 1991;266(1):62-63.

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

To the Editor.

—I applaud the recent editorial "Gifts to Physicians From Industry."¹ Yet I am concerned that the establishment of guidelines by the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs will alleviate improprieties only temporarily.

Vague phrases are used, such as "inappropriate gifts," "reasonable honoraria," and "reasonable travel, lodging, and meal expenses." The interpretation of these ambiguous phrases is left solely to the discretion of each individual physician. The likelihood that physicians will interpret these phrases differently is great. For example, an ophthalmologist in New York City may find it reasonable to accept, with little obligation for reciprocation, a high-priced color atlas of diseases of the eye, while a family physician in a small midwestern town may have a more difficult time in calling this a reasonable gift and may feel more compelled to reciprocate after receiving such a gift. Is the goal of the guidelines to prevent . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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