Ties Between Harvard Medical School and Drug Firms Under Scrutiny

Mar 9th, 2009 • Posted in: News

Senate critic wants detailed accounts of drug-company payments to faculty

BOSTON
There’s a confrontation over ethics and money at Harvard Medical School, with a group of students, faculty, and teachers claiming that drug companies are exerting undue influence in the classrooms and research labs.

Late last week, the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee asked drug manufacturer Pfizer to provide details of its payments to at least 149 members of the medical school’s faculty, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The Harvard Crimson student paper reports that Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, citing a New York Times investigation of drug-company influence, gave the company until March 10 to provide the information.

Pfizer spokesman Ray Kerins told the Crimson that the company will comply.

In addition, Pfizer will begin posting in July an online list of its donations to physicians.

“This comes down to making sure that we conduct our business in the most highly ethical and responsible manner possible,” Kerins told the Crimson.

There remains considerable support at Harvard for retaining drug-company contributions, according to the investigative news service ProPublica, which reports that the medical school’s website says, “The Harvard Faculty of Medicine remains strongly committed to continued growth in these innovative and mutually beneficial relationships.”

But some students worry that their professors, on drug companies’ payrolls, may make marketing pitches look like straightforward facts, skewing their education without disclosing potential biases.

Sources: Harvard Crimson, Mar. 4 — ProPublica, Mar. 3 — Chronicle of Higher Education, Mar. 3 — New England Cable Network, Mar. 3 — New York Times, Mar. 3.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, July 14, 2008 — Related Newsline story, May 19, 2008 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 21, 2008 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 28, 2005 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 7, 2005.

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One Response »

1. Ethics Newsline® » News » Physician Whose Research Laid Groundwork for Pain Treatment is Accused of Faking Data on March 16th, 2009 at 7:12 pm:

   [...] more information, see: Related Newsline story, Mar. 9 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 23 — Related Newsline story, Jan. 26 [...]

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