BMJ  2003;326:1208-1210 (31 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7400.1208

Education and debate

Relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and patients' organisations

¹ 9 Park Crescent, London N3 2NL andrew_herxheimer@compuserve.com

Pharmaceutical companies and patients' organisations are unequal partners in a collaboration that has developed over the years—and this raises serious questions

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

That different groups of stakeholders in an activity should work together constructively is widely regarded as an ideal. This has brought pharmaceutical companies and patients' organisations together and led them to explore areas of shared interest. Various forms of collaboration between these unequal partners—one usually rich, the other poor—have developed over the years, and have raised serious questions.^{1 2} This article explores the position, mainly in the United Kingdom, which has hundreds of self help groups and support organisations.³ The table lists some of the most prominent. Similar problems exist in other countries where patients' organisations have become important, notably the United States.

View larger version (98K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Patients' groups will go to extreme lengths to raise funds—88 year old Rosina Burson abseils to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Relief DEMPSEY SEAN DEMPSEY/PA

 

View this table: [in this window] [in a new window]   Some prominent UK patients' organisations

 

Like other commercial enterprises, the major companies focus on making a profit, and this determines their priorities. They . . . [Full text of this article]

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