Doctors' education: the invisible influence of drug company sponsorship

doi:10.1136/bmj.39496.430336.DB

BMJ 2008;336:416-417 (23 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39496.430336.DB

Feature

Doctors’ education: the invisible influence of drug company sponsorship

Ray Moynihan, conjoint lecturer, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, and visiting editor, BMJ

Ray.Moynihan@newcastle.edu.au

As calls to end drug companies’ direct sponsorship ofdoctors’ education echo round the world, an investigationin Australia reveals sponsor involvement in the education ofthousands of general practitioners, writes Ray Moynihan

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

We’ve all been there—the educational seminars, themedical symposiums, and the scientific conferences generouslysponsored by big drug companies. The visible signs of sponsorshipat these events are obvious: the smiling drug company representatives,the colourful company logos, and the high tech stalls in theexhibit halls. But what about inside lecture theatres, wherehigh quality education is delivered to doctors by respectedspeakers? Surely the sponsors have no input into those sacredplaces of independent education?

It seems that invisible influence may be flowing through thesesponsored seminars—even those accredited by august associations—farmore often than many of us realise. In a rare look behind thescenes of sponsored medical education, the Australian BroadcastingCorporation’s Background Briefing programme (www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/)will this weekend show that it is not uncommon for drug companysponsors to suggest speakers at sessions that are assumed bythe thousands of general practitioners who . . . [Full text of this article]

Add to CiteULike CiteULike Add to Complore Complore Add to Connotea Connotea Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us Add to Digg Digg Add to Reddit Reddit Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon Add to Technorati Technorati What's this?

Relevant Articles

Australian drug industry gives details of money spent courting doctors: Bob Burton
BMJ 2008 336: 742. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Conflicts are everywhere: Hari Singh
BMJ 2008 336: 522. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Sponsored medical tourism: Peter C Arnold
BMJ 2008 336: 522. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

Pisacane, A. (2008). Rethinking continuing medical education. BMJ 337: a973-a973 [Full text]
Singh, H. (2008). Conflicts are everywhere. BMJ 336: 522-522 [Full text]
Arnold, P. C (2008). Sponsored medical tourism. BMJ 336: 522-522 [Full text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Transparency works both ways: Adam Jacobs
bmj.com, 22 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Internet is Best: Bernard C Boyd
bmj.com, 23 Feb 2008 [Full text]
And Who's Doing the Studies?: Joseph More
bmj.com, 23 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Another perspective: Aitzaz Bin Sultan Rai, et al.
bmj.com, 23 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Transparency works both ways: Alan K. Cassels
bmj.com, 24 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Pharmaceutical Industry�s visible influence on doctor�s education: No free lunch: Imran Mushtaq, et al.
bmj.com, 24 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Who Pays for the Lunch?: Aitzaz Bin Sultan Rai, et al.
bmj.com, 24 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Sponsored medical tourism: Peter C Arnold
bmj.com, 24 Feb 2008 [Full text]
A need to be vigilant: Allison CY Tso
bmj.com, 25 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Doctors are not victims - and conflicts are everywhere: Hari Singh
bmj.com, 26 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Doctors and drug industry : Cruising along , in a lifetime illicit relationship: venkatesan sangareddi
bmj.com, 26 Feb 2008 [Full text]
It is our responsibility: Dr. Rajesh M. Buddhadev, et al.
bmj.com, 26 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Does a doctor go hungry if no "free lunch" is available?: Eugene Pozniak
bmj.com, 26 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Managing the Risk of Influence: Train in partnership working: Peter H L Aitken
bmj.com, 27 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Training budget cut but CPD points required, how to balanace the books?: Sudip Sikdar
bmj.com, 28 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Useless trials and disclosures to patients: Anthony Papagiannis
bmj.com, 28 Feb 2008 [Full text]
free lunches: dr vikram vinayek
bmj.com, 28 Feb 2008 [Full text]
Is it immoral for an academician to work with the pharmaceutical industry?: Hari Prasad
bmj.com, 1 Mar 2008 [Full text]
Sponsorship of doctors� education? No thanks!: Luisella Grandori
bmj.com, 1 Mar 2008 [Full text]
An insidious disease: Deborah H Yates, et al.
bmj.com, 1 Mar 2008 [Full text]
In the USA, Certified CME is different: Marty Cearnal, et al.
bmj.com, 10 Mar 2008 [Full text]
Visible influence: the simple truth behind industry "education": Anthony N Fleg
bmj.com, 12 Mar 2008 [Full text]
The "(Un) Holy Nexus- Who to blame?: Manthan D. Janodia, et al.
bmj.com, 13 Mar 2008 [Full text]