An article in PLoS Medicine called for medical journals to reject ads from drug companies, saying they compromise the objectivity of journals.

The article, co-authored by Georgetown University Medical Center professor and HRT critic Adriane Fugh-Berman, examined ads in nine medical journals, concluding they were “unreliable sources of information, since they ‘educate’ physicians to prescribe the newest, most expensive drugs (which may not be superior to existing, less expensive alternatives).” Publishers could replace the lost income with consumer products advertising, the authors said. 

PLoS Medicine, a nonprofit, does not accept drug ads.