Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15757

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

Sweet M.
Australian research council reviews conflict of interest requirements
BMJ. 2009 Jun 9; 338:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/338/jun09_1/b2338

Abstract:

Australian researchers, universities, and other research institutions are likely to face measures aimed at ensuring conflicts of interest are declared.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is considering recommendations that would require researchers to publicly declare conflicts of interest on university and other institutional websites.

The council has also been asked to consider establishing its own conflict of interest committee, to provide advice internally and to act as a reference for other bodies, and to require research institutions to establish similar committees.

The suggestions were made by senior researchers and NHMRC members at a workshop on transparency and conflicts of interest convened by the council in Canberra last week.

“The ideas that came up are all worth consideration, and we will take those ideas to our council over the next six months,” Warwick Anderson, chief executive officer of the council, told the BMJ after the workshop.

The council . . .