Academic medical centers are finding it easier than expected to pull the plug on marketing practices that seek to sway doctors’ prescribing practices, according to a study published this afternoon by The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Fears that faculty members would flee and industry-research financing would dry up if free lunches and gifts were banned have not been realized, the study found. A report of the study’s findings was written by David J. Rothman and Susan Chimonas of Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Stanford University became the latest institution last month to announce that it was imposing strict limits on industry support for continuing medical education.

In the last two years, at least 25 medical centers have adopted stringent policies aimed at preventing conflicts of interest, the report notes. Among the universities they represent are the entire University of California system, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to banning free handouts, the policies have restricted access for drug-company representatives seeking to visit academic physicians.

Institutions with strong policies usually have a dean who takes the lead, supported by knowledgeable administrators such as a dean of pharmacy, the study concludes. —Katherine Mangan