Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5026

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: Journal Article

Ghost with a chance in publishing undergrowth
Lancet 1993; 342:1498-1499

Abstract:

This editorial gives two examples of where publishing houses with a close relationship with the pharmaceutical industry have expanded their activities into the area of peer reviewed journals. Brookwood Medical Publications offers to publish articles within 21 days and its promotional material also observes that changes to the Code of Practice of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry means that “companies may now send out, unsolicited, papers reporting the results of clinical trials which have been published in properly reviewed journals.” The second example concerns ghost writing. Here, a staff writer with the journal publisher prepares the article on behalf of a drug company and then sends it to a doctor asking whether she or he would like to be the guest author, subject to approval of the content, for an honorarium. The final version when submitted to the journal may contain no clues about its origin.

Keywords:
*editorial/United Kingdom/ ghost writing/ publication bias/ Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry/ ABPI/ Code of Practice (UK)/ payment for writing articles/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PUBLICATION/PROMOTION DISGUISED: GHOST-WRITING AND JOURNAL ARTICLES/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: COMPLIANCE, SANCTIONS, STANDARDS/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION