Published 24 February 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b762
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b762

Letters

Reframing relations with Pharma

Voluntarism is not enough

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

Krumholz and Ross’s six recommendations to regulate the pharmaceutical industry make sense but do not go far enough to assure compliance.¹ They are much too dependent on the voluntarism of the healthcare industry and professions to give up self serving and lucrative interactions.

Government power of the purse is needed to counteract ingrained behaviours, as well as sanctions to punish scofflaws. Like with current compensation of chief executive officers in the US, the public is increasingly outraged by those who hide behind or manipulate legalisms to take advantage of consumers. Hoodwinking consumers with the shibboleths of physician "first do no harm" and researcher "for the greater good of society" is the ultimate and most cynical betrayal of the public trust. Now is the time to embrace reforms and sanctions that the healthcare industry and professions will never accept except at the point of the sword.

Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b762

¹ Georgetown, TX 78633, USA

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