Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17714

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: Magazine

Tonkin A
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Australian Weekend Magazine 2010 Apr 24

Full text:

Dr John Eden (“Ghost stories”, April 3-4) accepts that he was naïve in his dealings with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in writing a paper designed by Wyeth to meet marketing goals. Astonishingly, he also reveals that he is still naïve in his belief that accepting drug company sponsorship to attend an overseas conference is justifiable behaviour. It has been proved that doctors’ behaviour is influenced by gifts from drug companies, including free trips, and that prescribing and community health suffer as a result. As a practicing physician and clinical pharmacologist involved with teaching medical students, I am very disappointed that this story did not, after all, provide the students with an appropriate role model.
Anne Tonkin
Summertown, SA