Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Education And Debate

Alteplase for stroke: money and optimistic claims buttress the “brain attack” campaignCommentary: Who pays the guideline writers?Commentary: Thrombolysis in stroke: it works!

BMJ 2002; 324 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7339.723 (Published 23 March 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;324:723

Rapid Response:

Conflict of interest important at all levels

Many educational events are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies;
postgraduate tutors in general practice have an uneasy relationship
because of the absence of any funding for their meetings. There seems to
be an increasing tendancy for Prinary Care Organisations to use Drug
Company Sponsorship for "educational meetings"; some of which will be more
about policy changes than "pure education" eg A County diabetic group
changing its policy on the use of newer oral hypoglycaemics, discussing
this over dinner at a hotel, all paid for by both manufacturers of the
said drugs. The need for HAs and PCOs to be aware of this and perhaps
change their policy of industry sponsorship should be tackled in the same
way as larger national organisations

Competing interests: No competing interests

09 October 2002
Veronica M Wilkie
GP Postgraduate Tutor
The Charles Hastings Education Centre, CHarles Hastings Way Worcester WR5 1DD