AMA Physician Data Restriction Program

Since 2006, the American Medical Association (AMA) has been empowering physician choice through the AMA's Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP). The unique program allows physicians to restrict pharmaceutical sales representatives from accessing their prescribing data. 

The AMA is working hard to ensure that you—and only you—have the power to decide how your prescribing data are used. *

The AMA PDRP makes that decision yours alone by empowering you to determine whether your prescribing data is made available to pharmaceutical sales representatives. However, the PDRP still keeps the data available to advance important public health benefits, such as timely and appropriate communication about drug recalls and evidence-based medical research.

No, the AMA does not collect, license, sell or have access to physician prescribing data. These data are collected and compiled by Health Information Organizations (HIOs). HIOs match the AMA Physician Professional Data™ demographic data with other physician data, such as prescribing data, and then provides the combined product to pharmaceutical organizations under data licensing agreements.

Permitting the HIOs to use AMA data in conjunction with prescribing data allows the AMA to enforce physician choice around data usage. Companies found to be in violation of the PDRP requirements could lose access to AMA demographic data altogether. There are numerous sources of physician demographic data available to the HIOs but the AMA is the only organization that provides physicians with a choice with respect to the use of their data.

The PDRP is available to all physicians, both AMA members and non-members. Through the AMA PDRP you can choose to opt out, which prohibits pharmaceutical represen­tatives from accessing and using your individual prescribing data. To do this you will need to visit the PDRP website. You can choose to stay in, which continues to allow pharmaceutical representatives to view your data to identify your needs and prefer­ences. No action is required if you decide to go this route.

The Physician Data Restriction Form allows physicians to either opt out of having prescribing data released to pharmaceutical sales reps or to register a complaint and report inappropriate behavior by pharmaceutical sales reps or companies.

Whatever you decide, the data will remain available for important public health benefits such as communication on drug recalls and evidence-based medical research.

Since not everyone may know about the Physician Data Restriction Program, use the referral form to let friends and colleagues know about the program.

The AMA also developed a set of Best Practices Guidelines (PDF) for the Use of Prescribing Data by Industry. These guidelines reinforce the responsible use of data by the pharmaceutical industry.

The AMA offers physicians several options regarding the use of their information. To learn more about these options and to exercise your choice please review the privacy policy (PDF).

To enroll in PDRP online, go to the PDRP website or call the AMA at (800) 621-8335. We are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Central.

* The AMA does not collect, compile, license, sell or have access to physician prescribing data. Through contracts with Health Information Organizations, the AMA can impose contractual stipulations on how such data are used.