Poor docs, starting tomorrow they will no longer be showered in free, logo-bescribbled office tools and medical devices. According to a story in the New York Times , the pharmaceutical industry has gallantly decided to stop said showering:

Starting Jan. 1, the pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a voluntary moratorium on the kind of branded goodies — Viagra pens, Zoloft soap dispensers, Lipitor mugs — that were meant to foster good will and, some would say, encourage doctors to prescribe more of the drugs.

The NYT story notes that while the drug industry's new guidelines yank the pens and mugs and such, they "still permit drug makers to underwrite free lunches for doctors and their staffs or to sponsor dinners for doctors at restaurants, as long as the meals are accompanied by educational presentations."

Whew, that's a relief. It's hungry out there.