ama annual meeting wrap-up

It's here, your all-inclusive condensed guide to resolutions passed at this year's annual meeting of the American Medical Association. I tried to hit all the issues that are likely to have the largest impact on the general public; for a more detailed view, check out the AMA's committee by committee report:

• There were some recent stories in the news that pharmacists in certain parts of the country were not filling birth control prescriptions based on moral objections. Since physicians are given the right to deny controversial services as long as they refer the patient to another doctor, the AMA believed that pharmacists should be given the same right. In rural areas where other providers are not available, the AMA passed new policy that would advocate for state laws that allow the filling of such objectionable prescriptions.


• In response to reports of abuse in Guantanamo, the AMA reaffirmed existing policy that condemns "physicians' participation in torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of prisoners or detainees." The AMA also created new policy that would encourage training in such ethical concerns during medical school.


• One of the larger debates focused on pay-for-performance, a practice that pays physicians based on results, not efforts. The AMA created a set of guidelines for private and government payers that wish to use pay-for-performance and voted to oppose any new legislation that didn't meet those guidelines.


• The AMA passed policy that will advocate for the removal of section 215 of the Patriot Act, which requires physicians to disclose information about their patients to law enforcement authorities without notifying their patients.


• In partial response to the Defense of Marriage Act, the assembly passed new policy that asks the AMA to work to end differential treatment of children and adults in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families.


• After studies showed that certain antidepressants may increase suicidal activities in adolescents, the FDA placed a "black box" warning on such prescriptions warning patients of the potential problem. After much debate, the AMA voted to keep the "black box" warning, with the suggestion that the FDA continue to monitor any unintended consequences of providing such warning.


• Finally, there was considerable concern that "medical experts" appearing on various television programs were being called doctors, but did not have an MD or DO. In response, the AMA passed new policy that strongly encourages media outlets to identify doctors by their degree if they are endorsing health-related products.