Comments on: Medical journals: “information-laundering for Big Pharma”?

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:13:53 +0000

In reply to Bev RN.

Hi Bev – everything here is in the public domain and easily accessible to all physicians. When former journal editors themselves start publishing these facts in other journals, it’s all right out there for all to read.

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By: Bev RN

Bev RN — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:35:04 +0000

Carolyn, have you investigated as to whether there’s any remotely viable means to get these articles – by you and cited by you – out to physicians? That must be impossible, from a money standpoint, for starters, but I had to ask anyway.

I think about sharing them with my own physicians but amazingly, the first thought that comes to mine is “What will that do to my relationship with that doctor?” If there were only a way to have them mass delivered……

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By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 03:36:16 +0000

In reply to Doctor Skeptic.

Excellent point about device makers. I’ve written about orthopedic surgeons here and about neurosurgeons here. And lots about stent-happy cardiologists of course . . . Thanks for your perspective.

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By: Doctor Skeptic

Doctor Skeptic — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:09:42 +0000

Thanks for continuing to draw people’s attention to this problem. One point I like to make is that the device industry, particularly for surgery, but also for interventionists (stenters etc) is just as bad as the pharmaceutical industry, if not worse, and it often flies under the radar.

Surgeons have their conference fees and flights paid for by companies (nominally by asking everyone who attends to speak for 5 minutes, therefore making them faculty). Device manufacturers now run many of the workshops, and the focus of surgical education is on what device to use and how, with very little discussion of non-operative alternatives.

Not to mention royalties, speakers fees, research funding, fellowship sponsorships, meeting sponsorships, educational dinners, promotional material, ‘badged’ patient information brochures etc.

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