The University of Minnesota Medical School may soon join a growing number of supporters of bans on gifts to doctors from medical-device and drug companies. If enacted, the University of Minnesota conflict-of-interest policy would include the following:

•.All personal gifts from industry would be banned.

•.Free drug samples would be limited.

•.Industry support for doctors’ continuing education would be phased out.

• Doctors’ consulting relationships would be disclosed to patients and the public.

• Financial ties between doctors and industry would be monitored more closely.

A draft of the proposed policy was presented to University of Minnesota Medical School Dean Deborah Powell last month and was distributed to the school’s faculty for comment. That process will likely wrap up by the end of the semester. Reactions are mixed, says Dr. Leo Furcht, chair of the University’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and co-chairman of the task force recommending the rules. Meanwhile, the Medical Society of Wisconsin has also come out against doctors accepting gifts, speaking fees, and “other payments” from medical-device and drug companies. The Society’s policy states the following:

• Doctors should not participate in speaking bureaus for medical-device and drug companies.

• Doctors should not accept payments from medical-device and drug companies for participating in online courses for continuing medical education.

• Drug samples should be limited and, when possible, be replaced by a system of vouchers.

• Doctors with commercial relationships with drug companies should not serve on formulary committees that recommend which drugs doctors use.

And in the Massachusetts State Senate, a proposed bill to ban all gifts by drug companies to doctors includes a $5,000 fine and two years in prison for any doctor, family member or employee accepting such gifts. Under the bill the following would be prohibited: gifts (including payments), entertainment, meals, travel, honoraria, subscriptions and office supplies. The distribution of drug samples would not be prohibited. The Massachusetts bill would be the country’s first such statewide ban.