The drug industry and medical professionalism

The Lancet: "Your Editorial (Sept 3, p 781)1 and the Comment by Patrick Vallance (Sept 24, p 1062)2 raise concerns about the activities of some researchers and clinicians in their relationships with the drug industry. Your Editorial draws attention to the fine line trodden by medical researchers who decide to be consultants to investment firms and analysts. You state that these consultants "must at the very least disclose their consultancies to their institution and sponsors of their research". Vallance criticises the use of "ghost writers" and proposes means to expose the status of "opinion leaders". These issues are clearly of relevance to doctors, educators, and editors. But we wonder whether there are wider obligations for transparent disclosure of dual, or multiple, interests."/.../