Three respected doctors just say no to drug funding

[Euphoric]

Three respected doctors just say no to drug funding

May 13, 2008 04:30 AM

At a time when we are being bombarded by reports of venial short sighted and arrogant leaders of industry and politics, it is like a breath of spring air to read about three heroic doctors in the U.S. I'm sure there are similar physicians in Canada but I just don't know their names.

Peter Libby is a chief of cardiovascular medicine, Eric Winer is the director of a breast oncology centre, and Kelly Brownell is the director of a major centre dealing with obesity.

All of these gentlemen are recognized experts in their fields, and all work at prestigious institutions. They also happen to be in demand by drug companies to conduct studies and to consult on various matters.

In the U.S. today almost every specialist at a major teaching centre is in some way in the employ of a drug company.

The New York Times reported that these three men will no longer take money from any pharmaceutical company. This does not mean they will not do drug trials or endorse new medication they feel is of value. They will still do those things, they just will not accept any compensation, directly or indirectly for their work.

One of the biggest ethical issues facing medicine in North America today is the influence major drug companies have on medical decision making.

No one would suggest new drugs are not needed, or that they shouldn't be rigorously tested and endorsed if they are superior to what currently exists. But study after study has shown when doctors have a financial interest in a drug, they prescribe it more often, even if it is more expensive than another equally good drug.

Also, because the drug companies control the drug trials, in many cases the companies would not release the entire results of a trial, only those parts that supported their product.

Sometimes adverse side effects only come to public light after the drug has been released, as happened with the arthritis drug Mobicox.

This problem has been addressed in the last year by a new policy set forth by all the major medical journals. They are saying, in effect, in order for us to publish the results of a study, the company doing the study has to register it before it starts, so bad results cannot be buried nor selective findings pruned.

The three men mentioned above are passing up six-figure annual compensation to remain objective and be seen as objective when dealing with drug companies. They feel this is a cheap price to pay to maintain their good name and reputation.

When this policy began, drug company execs wondered if the doctors had been offended or if they had a hidden agenda.

But these men realized no matter how honest and ethical a doctor may appear, when that doctor discloses that he is in the employ of a drug company his results are automatically suspect.

This is the type of self-sacrificing altruism that makes for modern heroes.

http://www.thestar.com/article/424579