The journal PLoS Medicine has re-opened the discussion of medical journal policies for dealing with industry in a new editorial. The journal reminds readers: "In PLoS Medicine's launch issue in 2004, we declared that we would not be part of 'the cycle of dependency that has formed between journals and the pharmaceutical industry'. We set out three policies aimed at breaking this cycle. First, we would not publish adverts for drugs and devices. Second, we would not benefit from exclusive reprint sales to drug companies, since our open access license would let readers make unlimited copies themselves. Third, we would decline to publish studies aimed purely at increasing a drug's market share."
When a recent policy paper in PLoS Medicine called for other medical journals to follow that example and ban ads for drugs and devices, a group of advertising agencies and public relations firms representing the pharmaceutical industry called this a “goofy idea.�
The discussion is healthy, not goofy. With so many recent instances of fraud on the part of scientists submitting papers to journals, and instances of failure to disclose conflicts of interest by authors, there is an erosion of trust at stake.
Read the PLoS Medicine editorial and educate yourself on some of the serious issues at play.
Posted by schwitz at July 26, 2006 08:04 AM | TrackBack