Is Meeting Swag a Conflict of Interest?

Promotional items (also known as "swag") are commonplace at most large meetings. You can have your logo emblazoned on anything from pens to popsicles, and many sponsors and exhibitors use swag to drive traffic to their booth and increase interest in their products.

Today, one medical society is cracking down on both the manner and the medium. The Council of Medical Specialty Societies, which includes 32 medical societies with over 650,000 members, argues that when doctors accept promotional items emblazoned with corporate logos it constitutes a conflict of interest. Among other guidelines, the CMSS code requires organizations to "ban company or product names and logos from pens, bags and other giveaways at conferences."

Read the full article at MSNBC.com.