Is Pharmaceutical Sponsorship of a Dermatologic Conference Proper?

Ethical issues in the relationships with industry: An ongoing challenge. New Guidelines open for public comment

“…There is extensive evidence that, despite the views of practitioners themselves, promotion and marketing have a profound impact on medical decision-making. [1][2][3][4][5] Contact with company representatives, gift giving, sponsorship of meetings, and industry sponsorship of research and publications often lead to increased prescribing of drugs, acceptance of commercial rather than scientific views and a propensity to engage in nonrational prescribing behaviour, [6][7][8] biases in favour of a company's drugs [9][10][11][12] and distortions of the research record. [13][14][15][16] Perhaps of even greater concern is the well documented fact that industry interests -like those of medicine itself -substantially determine the social agenda relating to the understanding of disease, health and dying.…”

Ethical issues in the relationships involving medicine and industry: evolving problems require evolving

“…As with advertising, the evidence that gift giving influences behaviour is clear; doctors who meet with pharmaceutical representatives, accept money to speak at symposia are significantly more likely to recommend use of the products they promote. Sponsorship of meetings, on which many professional societies have come to depend, leads to biases in favour of a company's drugs, with increases in prescriptions 9–12 . Drug company sponsorship of research and publications is of particular concern.…”

“…Sponsorship of meetings, on which many professional societies have come to depend, leads to biases in favour of a company's drugs, with increases in prescriptions. [9][10][11][12] Drug company sponsorship of research and publications is of particular concern. There are many ways in which research findings can be directed towards producing a desired result, ranging from careful design of a trial and choice of drug doses to selective reporting or actual suppression of results.…”