Conflicts of interest (COIs), such as the relationships between pharmaceutical companies and patients and/or their families, can be a significant ethical issue in the field of medicine. The relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical company representatives is just one non-clinical ethical dilemma frequently encountered in medicine. For example, our family medicine department has a COI stemming from its relationship with pharmaceutical companies. We reflected on this COI and discussed a concrete approach from which we implemented evidence-based learning to overcome the challenges presented by this particular COI. This editorial reviews this case and demonstrates an effective approach to addressing COIs.
Keywords: conflict of interests; family medicine; japan; pharmaceutical company; rural hospital.
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