Skip to main content

Coca-Cola Partnership Hits a Nerve

 |  By HealthLeaders Media Staff  
   November 05, 2009

Once again, news about a partnership between physicians and private industry has sparked controversy in the medical community. I'm not referring to the physician who claims he was fired for raising concerns about an inappropriate relationship between Lahey Clinic and Medtronic; or the 15 states that are suing Amgen, Inc. because they think the biotech giant provided kickbacks to medical providers to boost sales.

In fact, this time the controversy isn't related to drug or device companies at all.

A number of family practice physicians are upset with the American Academy of Family Physicians for partnering with Coca-Cola Co., the world's No.1 soft-drink maker, to develop consumer education content about beverage sweeteners and other health topics.

The health information will appear on familydoctor.org, and the AAFP will retain complete control over developing the content, says Douglas E. Henley, M.D, FAAFP, executive vice president and CEO for AAFP. That content will be pulled from evidence-based guidelines, and when appropriate will point out the health hazards of sugary beverages, he says.

"We've been asking members to not rush to judgment and hold us accountable for content we develop, understanding that's two or three months away. We believe that we can manage this relationship appropriately," he adds.

But it's not necessarily the content development that has drawn physicians' ire. Coca-Cola provided a six-figure grant to the AAFP, and not for nothing. The soft-drink company can brand itself, within strict limits, as a partner with familydoctor.org, and that association with a physician organization will be good for its image at a time when sodas and surgery beverages are under fire for contributing to America's obesity epidemic.

The AAFP insists that the alliance does not equate to an endorsement of Coca-Cola products (and Henley reminded me that the company makes more than just sugary beverages). But will patients be able to see the distinction? Some may be a little confused by the mixed messages when physicians are telling them to avoid too many sugary beverages for health reasons.

The dust up was serious enough that more than 20 physicians from Contra Costa Health Services in Martinez, CA, made a public show of resigning from AAFP in protest of the deal, and a handful of doctors have started a Facebook petition to end the partnership.

"I am appalled and ashamed of this partnership between Coca-Cola and the AAFP," said William Walker, MD, who had been an AAFP member for 25 years, in a press release. "How can any organization that claims to promote public health join forces with a company that promotes products that put our children at risk for obesity, heart disease and early death?"

What I find interesting about this controversy is what it says about the changes in medical priorities and physician culture. Physicians have always been conscious about corporate influences on public health, and there has always been a line that most doctor organizations won't cross. For instance, Henley says the AAFP wouldn't have had a similar partnership with companies that produce tobacco products or alcoholic beverages.

It appears that there is now disagreement about where that line should be drawn; or perhaps the line has already moved and the AAFP hasn't realized it yet. For many providers, obesity has become priority number one when it comes to improving the overall health of their patients.

On the surface, the AAFP partnership is harmless enough, and they'll probably produce quality health content, particularly after the initial pressure from members. But in the near future, the alliance may be viewed with the same bewilderment and disappointment as the partnerships between physicians and tobacco companies from way back, when doctors hawked mild cigarettes before knowing the true health consequences.


Note: You can sign up to receive HealthLeaders Media PhysicianLeaders, a free weekly e-newsletter that features the top physician business headlines of the week from leading news sources.

Tagged Under:


Get the latest on healthcare leadership in your inbox.