MINNEAPOLIS, March 17, 2008—An article at American Medical News asks what doctors' ethical obligations are when they become pitchmen on TV or in print.

The best-known recent example of a physician putting his name by a product was artificial heart inventor Robert Jarvik, M.D., who promoted Lipitor in TV commercials and in consumer magazines.

That campaign by Pfizer had to be discontinued under pressure by the Congressional Energy and Commerce Committee. Pfizer was accused of misleading the public by suggesting that Jarvik is a practicing physician, when he is really a biomedical engineer, and not licensed to practice medicine.

The ads also suggested that Jarvik is an avocational rower with a rower's robust heart, placing him at the oars of a boat while he did his spiel for Lipitor. He is not a rower.

Jarvik, who received $1.35 million to sell the drug, defended himself, stating that his "credibility as a heart expert is fully justified and is fairly represented" in the ads.

An AmedNews article examines the ethical pros and cons of the physician-as-pitchman problem.