Published 23 September 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a1778
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a1778

Letters

Pharma and medical education

Who else but pharma will fund medical education?

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

Current medical training places much emphasis on attending accredited external teachings, seminars, workshops, and conferences, as part of continuous professional development.¹ All doctors must earn a minimum number of credits per year to be eligible for recertification. A trainee doctor in the United Kingdom has an annual training allowance of about £700, which is insufficient to cover a two day course in a big city. Sadly, few accredited teachings are taking place in hospitals. Many commercial courses run by trainers in conjunction with pharmaceutical companies have mushroomed to replace the good old hospital teaching in clinical settings.

Without the support of pharmaceutical companies, most trainee doctors would be unable to attend these meetings. With no alternative source of funding in sight the pharmaceutical companies will still have a major role in doctors’ education. More emphasis should therefore be given to educating doctors about their ethical and moral duties, ensuring that . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, Nottingham

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