Policy Statements

Our mission is to enhance the proficiency of all physicians engaged, whether directly or indirectly, in the discovery and development of ethical new drugs or products.  We vigorously protect the welfare of all subjects participating in clinical research. To that end the APPI has made statements on several policies affecting the healthcare industry. Below you will find links to these policy statements and other background materials.

Clinical Trial Registry: By adopting the AMA positions regarding open publication and development of a registry for clinical trials and their findings, the APPI policies on the matter are as follows... more

Clinical Research: In regard to articles by Laura Landro and Vanessa Fuhrmanns (Dec. 5 and 6, 2002) on clinical research and drug development: There is both an ongoing need for the development of new drugs and for adequate protection of patients who consider volunteering for such trials... more

Drug Pricing: Medicines are a small fraction of total healthcare expenditures, are one way to control healthcare costs, and return those costs many-fold by improving societal productivity, as well as, most important of all, helping the individual patient... more

Ephedra: The cluster of adverse event reports associated with the use of ephedra-containing products now numbers several hundred patients... more

Patient Safety: The AMA has requested support of a patient safety initiative from member societies. The AMA submitted a letter in support of Senate Bill S720, the “Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act” and encourages member societies to do the same with their senators... more

Pediatric Rule: APPI firmly believes that Congress should authorize the FDA to require appropriate evaluation of new drugs in children when a meaningful therapeutic benefit is anticipated and the drug is likely to be used in a substantial number of pediatric patients... more

Reimportation of Drugs: While many other countries have similar standards to those in the USA, such countries have variable standards for the importation of drugs into their country making the issue of second and third country importation considerably more complex than it first appears... more