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Table 6 PCA of statements concerning US students’ opinions about physicians’ cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry

From: Does growing up with a physician influence the ethics of medical students’ relationships with the pharmaceutical industry? The cases of the US and Poland

Statement (4-point Likert Scale)

Component 1

Component 2

Component 3

h 2

Physicians should have the right to take expensive gifts from pharmaceutical companies if they are needed in their practice (e.g., branded electronic stethoscopes).

.873

.133

−.093

.789

Physicians should have the right to take gifts from pharmaceutical companies in any form in which companies are likely to give them (e.g., good quality wine).

.834

.068

−.056

.704

Physicians should have the right to take gifts of modest value which are needed in their practice (e.g., pens, notebooks) from pharmaceutical companies.

.695

.263

−.204

0,594

Physicians should have the right to get support from pharmaceutical companies to attend conferences, training events, etc.

.666

.309

−.073

.544

Physicians should have the right to perform paid work for pharmaceutical companies (e.g., completing questionnaires or examining patients).

.608

.160

.053

.398

Pharmaceutical sales representatives perform an important educational function for physicians.

.218

.810

.005

.704

Information about drugs coming from pharmaceutical companies is credible.

.082

.759

−.090

.591

Physicians should meet with medical representatives during working hours because they are getting information about the drugs necessary in their work.

.299

.674

−.137

.562

Gifts from pharmaceutical companies are rewards for prescribing their medicines.

−.149

−.041

.742

.574

Gifts to physicians from pharmaceutical companies influence physicians’ prescribing habits.

−.412

.001

.671

.620

Drug samples are also gifts from a pharmaceutical company.

.210

−.145

.580

.401

Eigenvalue

3.13

1.92

1.43

SUM

Variance explained

28.5%

17.4%

13.0%

58.9%

  1. Source: M Makowska & M. Etyczne. Wyzwania współpracy studentów medycyny z przemysłem farmaceutycznym. Studium porównawcze sytuacji w Polsce i USA. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo SGGW; 2016, p. 253–254. Loadings in bold indicate the highest component loading for each item (these being the most salient loadings for interpretation of each component)