The following statement is attributable to the American Medical Association (AMA).

"The American Medical Association believes today's Supreme Court decision in Sorrell v. IMS Health is important.

"While the AMA supports the appropriate disclosure of prescriber data, the AMA firmly believes that every physician has the unequivocal right to decide whether his or her individual prescribing data is shielded from pharmaceutical detailers. To help physicians exercise that right, the AMA created the Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP), which enables physicians to "opt out" of such disclosure quickly and easily, while still allowing their data to be available for academic and governmental research.

"We believe the PDRP balances individual physician concerns regarding prescription data with First Amendment freedoms and the fundamental public interest in robust medical research.

"The PDRP is available to all U.S. physicians - both AMA members and nonmembers. Since its launch in 2006, nearly 28,000 physicians have used the PDRP to restrict their data. Physicians using the PDRP report high satisfaction rates - with 96 percent expressing satisfaction with the program and 56 percent telling a colleague about it. Interested physicians can register online.

"As a service to physicians across the country, the AMA will continue to promote PDRP to ensure physicians have choice and control over their prescribing data."

Source:
American Medical Association