Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6154

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

Maher EA.
An analysis of finder's fees in clinical research.
CMAJ 1994 Jan 15; 150:(2):252-6
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=8287347

Abstract:

(Limited to parts of article dealing with promotion.) Finder’s fees which usually range from $50 to $200 per patient may cumulatively represent a substantial sum of money. Finder’s fees for cancer trials alone may amount to $2.6 million annually. Is it ethical for physicians to create a situation in which they receive incentive payments for enrolling patients in clinical trials and then pass the cost of this practice on to the patients? This question raises an often-cited argument for re-examining the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians, that the mere suggestion of conflict of interest tarnishes the image of the medical profession and clinical research.

Keywords:
Clinical Trials/economics Conflict of Interest Costs and Cost Analysis Decision Making Ethics, Medical Human Experimentation* Humans Research/economics* Research Support/economics* *analysis/bioethics/ reimbursement to doctors/ patients/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: PAYMENTS IN STUDIES