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Ethical issues concerning the relationships between medical practitioners and the pharmaceutical industry
Author(s) -
Komesaroff Paul A,
Kerridge Ian H
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04318.x
Subject(s) - receipt , pharmaceutical industry , transparency (behavior) , conflict of interest , openness to experience , subsidy , public relations , ethical issues , business , engineering ethics , psychology , medicine , political science , accounting , social psychology , engineering , law , pharmacology , finance
Medical practitioners and the pharmaceutical industry serve interests that sometimes overlap and sometimes conflict. There is strong evidence that associations between industry and doctors influence the behaviour of the latter in relation to both clinical decision making and the conduct of research. In view of the risk of compromising relationships with patients and the integrity of the research process, doctors must exercise care in their dealings with industry. The basic principles underlying the conduct of doctors with respect to pharmaceutical companies should be openness and transparency. Clearly articulated procedures should be developed to deal with specific issues such as travel subsidies, receipt of gifts, sponsorship of conferences and continuing education activities, and dualities of interest arising in clinical and research settings.