Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4408

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Payer L.
Disease-mongers: how doctors, drug companies, and insurers are making you feel sick
1992

Abstract:

Many television stations in the United States are running medical features that come directly from drug companies. Drug companies also influence reporting on medical issues by offering prizes to journalists who write about particular subjects. Pharmaceutical companies tend to control the subjects of symposia. Subjects of symposia nearly always have something to do with a drug that a particular company is promoting. Writers for controlled circulation journals, which are sent free to physicians, know not to offend advertisers too much. Journalists working for magazines published independently of drug companies, but under a grant from the company, are sometimes asked to cover meetings sponsored by the same company.

Keywords:
*analysis/United States/ editorial freedom/ journalists/ controlled circulation journals/ sponsored symposia & conferences/ conflict of interest/ press conferences and releases/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: JOURNALISTS/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: JOURNALISTS/PROMOTION DISGUISED: JOURNAL SUPPLEMENTS, CONTROLLED CIRCULATION JOURNALS AND NEWSLETTERS/PROMOTION DISGUISED: PRESS CONFERENCES AND PRESS COVERAGE/PROMOTION DISGUISED: SUPPORT FOR CME/SPONSORSHIP: JOURNALISTS