Conflict Of Interest

Despite decline, ghostwriting in papers still common: study

Marc Iskowitz October 25, 2011

Researchers analyzing the prevalence of ghostwriting in leading medical journals over more than a decade saw a decline but found inappropriate authorship remained all too common.

One fourth of family medicine residencies "pharma free," says survey

Matthew Arnold March 25, 2011

Most US family medicine resident programs have limits on drug industry interaction with doctors, and a quarter shun doctor-company contacts altogether, said a survey by Georgetown University Medical Center and the American Medical Student Association.

In stepping up COI rules, Yale takes 'rational' approach to industry

Marc Iskowitz September 16, 2010

Yale School of Medicine, which created conflict-of-interest guidelines years ago, has made them binding for physicians in its faculty practice.

ACCME: Peer review, plus other provider controls, enable industry employees to present original research in CME

Marc Iskowitz June 29, 2010

Several months' worth of dialogue, at times public and heated, between physician groups like the American Heart Association and the ACCME, has resulted in new guidance from the regulator of continuing medical education: Industry scientists, who had been barred from presenting original product-related research at for-credit talks, may now do so as long as provider controls ensure they have zero control over the content.

Physician leaders push back on policy barring industry speakers from talks

Marc Iskowitz June 17, 2010

A policy barring pharmaceutical industry employees from giving continuing medical education talks at meetings has elicited strong opposition from physician leaders.

NIH still thinks universities make the best conflict watchdog

Marc Iskowitz May 26, 2010

The nation's biggest funder of biomedical research has proposed several changes to its rules governing when and how investigators should disclose financial interests from industry.

Specialty societies' code targets conflicts of interest

Matthew Arnold April 22, 2010

Medical society journals must ban ghostwritten articles and cannot place ads for drugs next to editorial content discussing those products or their makers under a sweeping ethics code signed by several major medical societies.

FDA proposes more openness about advisors' financial ties

Marc Iskowitz April 22, 2010

The FDA announced a proposal to disclose more information about financial interests among its advisory committee members, while the agency's commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, offered some advice of her own, outlining steps for recruiting needed experts who have financial conflicts.

In protecting market research, federal exclusion may not always apply

Marc Iskowitz March 25, 2010

Thanks to the work of lobbyists, marketing research-related payments are explicitly excluded from Sunshine legislation enacted Tuesday as part of the healthcare overhaul. But the exclusion may not always apply.

New Jersey's tough new conflict regs face uncertain future

Marc Iskowitz December 07, 2009

Conflict-of-interest rules announced by New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs last week would seem to have mixed prospects under an incoming Republican administration.

Journal editors subject authors to greater scrutiny

Matthew Arnold October 15, 2009

Researchers submitting manuscripts to many medical journals will have to fill out a more probing disclosure form aimed at exposing potential conflicts of interest.

Fewer than 1% of docs sees bias in online CME, survey finds

Matthew Arnold September 15, 2009

A Medscape-sponsored survey of a million physicians participating in online CME found that fewer than 1% perceived bias, regardless of whether or not it was commercially-supported.

Nissen: ACCME should be abolished

Matthew Arnold July 29, 2009

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education is a toothless watchdog and should be abolished, said Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Steven Nissen at a Senate Committee on Aging hearing.