Healthy Skepticism Library item: 690

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

Colby WD.
Guidelines for interaction with the pharmaceutical industry.
CMAJ 1995 Apr 1; 152:(7):1040-2

Keywords:
*letter to the editor Canada continuing medical education guidelines, discussion of relationship between physicians in training and industry attitude toward promotion value of promotion quality of information sponsored symposia & conferences sales representatives ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: LINKS BETWEEN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND INDUSTRY EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DETAILING PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS PROMOTION DISGUISED: SUPPORT FOR CME REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: CONTACT WITH MEDICAL STUDENTS AND HOSPITAL STAFF

Notes:

The author believes that Guyatt was extremely patronizing in his reply to previous letters. The process by which Guyatt and colleagues developed the guidelines for the interaction of residents and the pharmaceutical industry was seriously flawed. It is not surprising that industry threatened to withdraw funding from Guyatt. The author finds sales representatives to be knowledgeable and helpful and almost all continuing medical education courses held outside of academic centres are paid for through pharmaceutical company sponsorship. Physicians should engage in a constructive dialogue with drug companies.