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LETTERS: Des Spence Research for profit BMJ 2006; 332: 1155-c-1156-c [Full text]

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Time is money

Declan P Fox   (15 May 2006)

Time is money 15 May 2006
Declan P Fox, Freelance Physician 6 Ballymullarty Road, Newtownstewart, County Tyrone BT78 4NP Send response to journal: Re: Time is money	Since I never earned more than about £200 from drug trials, I was fascinated to read Dr Spence's account of the big bucks some make. Is it not the case though that GPs are mostly far too busy to take on this work? Unlike paid researchers in academic departments who have some chance of recruiting a patient or two in a morning and still getting a lunch break? I recall turning down drug trials simply because I did not have time to take them on. Might it be that large fees are simply a necessary compensation for work squeezed into already full days? Declan Fox MB MRCGP Competing interests: None declared