Australian journalist Ray Moynihan writes in the BMJ about “the invisible influence of drug company sponsorhip” of doctors’ educational seminars. He writes that:
“it is not uncommon for drug company sponsors to suggest speakers at sessions that are assumed by the thousands of general practitioners who attend them to be totally independent. Drug industry representatives have confirmed that similar practices take place in the United Kingdom, where roughly half of all education for doctors is sponsored by drug companies.In the case of one popular Australian provider of medical education, HealthEd, leaked documents and emails from a range of sources show drug company sponsors having input into the selection of some speakers at seminars held in recent years, despite the fact that these have been aggressively sold to general practitioners in brochures claiming that "all content is independent of industry influence."
Meantime, today's Star Tribune reports on a U.S. Senate hearing called "Surgeons For Sale." Excerpt:
Wine-tasting outings to California's Napa Valley. Ski trips to Colorado. Tickets to sporting events. Gourmet meals at swanky restaurants. Forays to "adult entertainment" clubs. Fat checks for what some see as questionable work.Posted by schwitz at February 28, 2008 06:33 AM | TrackBackSuch payments to doctors by medical device companies -- often disguised as "consulting agreements" meant to encourage use of their products -- were the subject of a packed, daylong hearing Wednesday before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.
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