But accepts McDonalds.  Zee

"No Free Lunch (http://nofreelunch.org) is a not for profit
organization whose mission is to encourage health care providers to
practice medicine on the basis of scientific evidence rather than on
the basis of pharmaceutical promotion."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The American Academy of Family Physicians says Yes to McDonald's, Yes
to Free Lunch, No to No Free Lunch.

Contact: Bob Goodman, bob@nofreelunch.org, tel: 212-305-6263

The American Academy of Family Physicians, one of the nation's
largest medical organizations, has denied No Free Lunch­an
organization of health care providers that encourages physicians to
refuse gifts from industry­the opportunity to exhibit at its upcoming
annual meeting in San Francisco.

In a letter to No Free Lunch's Director Dr. Robert Goodman, AAFP's
Manager of Sales and Services Sharon Hutinett said that No Free
Lunch's position was "not within the character and purpose of the
Scientific Assembly" and therefore did not meet the AAFP's
"eligibility requirements."  This despite the fact that the
Coca-Cola Company (booths # 2321 & 2323), The McDonald's Corporation
(# 2425 & 2427), and The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (# 527)
will all be present at the meeting, and whose missions thus presumably
are within the character and purpose of the assembly.

Over 5,000 physicians are expected to attend the meeting, and
exhibitors are told on the AAFP website that "seven dedicated exhibit
hall hours provide you with the opportunity for one-on-one access to
these high-prescribing, qualified buyers!" If this is not enough,
companies are provided with an array of sponsorship opportunities. For
example: $17,500 buys granola bars ("in a custom designed bag that
prominently features your logo") that are placed in the "Doctor's
Bag" that are distributed to all registrants' hotel rooms; $150,000
buys 50 custom-made banners that will adorn the shuttle buses taking
attendees to and from San Francisco's Moscone Center. As the AAFP
notes on its website: "The supporter of the shuttle bus banners will
also receive complimentary private coach service for its staff from the
supporter's main hotel to and from the convention center."  And of
course, there's free lunch: $60,500 pays for the food vouchers that
physician-attendees will use for lunch each day at the conference. (see
http://www.aafp.org/x32809.xml)

In April of this year, The American College of Physicians also denied
No Free Lunch the opportunity to exhibit at its Annual Meeting in San
Francisco. The ACP further prevented No Free Lunch members and medical
students from distributing literature­in some instances using armed
San Francisco Police­even when this literature was the ACP's own
guidelines on acceptance of gifts from industry.

No Free Lunch (http://nofreelunch.org) is a not for profit organization
whose mission is to encourage health care providers to practice
medicine on the basis of scientific evidence rather than on the basis
of pharmaceutical promotion. It discourages the acceptance of gifts
from industry by health care providers, trainees, and students.  Its
goal is improved patient care. It was founded in 1999 by Bob Goodman, a
general internist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York
City.