Healthy Skepticism Library item: 685

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

Dixon AS.
Unpublishable research.
Can Fam Physician 1995 Sep; 41:1443,:

Keywords:
*editorial Canada bioethics drug company sponsored research reimbursement to doctors ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: ETHICS OF TRIALS ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: PAYMENTS IN STUDIES PROMOTION DISGUISED: CLINICAL TRIALS

Notes:

When studies are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, involve the participation of many physicians and patients and are authored by supposed distinguished and expert specialists, some troubling questions are raised about the ethics of conducting unpublishable research. This article gives two examples of research studies submitted to Canadian Family Physician that should have been strangled at birth. The authors asks and proposes answers to six questions: 1) what motivates companies to sponsor patently flawed research; 2) what are the motivations of physicians involved in heading the trial and compiling the final research report; 3) why do family physicians participate in trials such as these; 4) what are the ethics of such trials, and how informed is informed consent; 5) what are the motivations of journals that publish such research; 6) what is the effect of bad research on those who are trying to carry out worthwhile studies?