Drug company funding of continuing medical education raises conflicts for the University of Wisconsin. The school should set strict guidelines.
Jump to full article: Milwaukee (WI) Journal-Sentinel, 2009-04-01
Intro: It's no surprise that continuing medical education courses bought and paid for by drug companies come with a heavy dose of marketing.
The surprise is that schools like the University of Wisconsin-Madison haven't done more until now to insulate themselves from the pernicious effects of drug company money. . . .
Pfizer, for example, is shelling out $12.3 million for an online UW course to instruct doctors on how to get patients to quit smoking. The course materials heavily promote Pfizer's drug, Chantix, which is the most effective drug on the market but also has been linked to serious side effects. None of them are mentioned in the course. . . .
Universities should not lend their good names to the marketing machines of the nation's pharmaceutical industry. Strict guidelines are needed.
Should the University of Wisconsin-Madison restrict drug companies' ability to pay for doctors' continuing education? To be considered for publication as a letter to the editor, e-mail your opinion to the Journal Sentinel editorial department.
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