The American Medical Student Association, an activist group that lobbies for universal health care, has launched a national campaign against the pharmaceutical industry's "biased marketing practices."
While many companies advertise their goods, the pharmaceutical industry has come under fire for doing just that.
The Kerry-Edwards campaign claims that drug ads are driving up the cost of prescription medications. "One reason for sky-high prices is drug advertising," the Kerry-Edwards campaign said in a mid-August press release.
On Monday, the American Medical Student Association announced that it will "resist the pharmaceutical industry's temptations." It is urging medical students around the country to collect -- and refuse to use -- pharmaceutical marketing paraphernalia, including pens, notepads, mugs, calendars and other "freebies" handed out by pharmaceutical companies to promote various medications.
The medical students' so-called "amnesty campaign" is described as the first in a number of events leading up to "National PharmFree Day," which will be observed on December 8, 2004.
