A new study published in the BMJ shows the prevalence of financial conflicts of interest in the panel members producing clinical guidelines. For consumers of healthcare delivery (that means everyone), I think it is valuable to know that doctors get their information from guidelines, and about half of the people developing those guidelines have financially-based conflicts of interest (e.g. they get money from pharmaceutical companies). The fact that this is not a surprise is probably the most worrying issue.
This is the second time that we’ve heard that journals have become “an extension of the marketing arm of pharmaceutical companies”.
Unfortunately, the double-edged sword is that many talented people do excellent work, and get money from pharmaceutical companies. Removing financial conflicts of interest would remove their talent from the construction of evidence and guidelines.
adam g. dunn 