Pharmaceutical Industry Disclosure Practices

Pharmaceutical Industry Donations and
Influencing Prescription Guidelines

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Drug makers role in mental health plan spurs debate in Texas
by Mark Horvit (January 9, 2005)

A Texas mental health program that promotes treatment guidelines that include advice for doctors on which drugs to prescribe has spurred debate. Concerns have been raised as to whether the financial interests of the pharmaceutical industry has affected the quality of patient care advice because the state accepted money from drug companies to finance aspects of the program.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Donations tie drug firms and nonprofits: Many patient groups reveal few, if any, details on relationships with pharmaceutical donors
by Thomas Ginsberg (May 28, 2006)

An investigation into six patient groups, each a leading advocate for patients in a disease area, revealed that all receive significant amounts of money from drug companies, and few disclose such ties when commenting about or lobbying about donor's drugs. This practice raises questions about the impartiality of groups that patients rely on when making medical decisions but which raise money from an industry whose profit motives may conflict with the best interests of patients.

Denver Post: Drug-bill critics' ties questioned 4 Colorado groups deny industry swayed stance
by Chris Frates (January 26, 2004)

Supporters of a Colorado legislative effort that proposes the restriction of drugs Medicaid patients could use based on performance and cost, say it could save the state money and provide more information to all prescription drug users. The proposal faces opposition from consumer groups with ties to the pharmaceutical industry, though they deny that their opposition is based on the potential loss of revenues to brand-name drug companies.

New York Times: Making Drugs, Shaping the Rules
by Melody Petersen (February 1, 2004)

The tactics used by Janssen Pharmaceuticals to promote the use of new, more-expensive antipsychotic drugs by state agencies that oversee treatment for huge numbers of people demonstrate one of the many ways - in addition to expensive advertising campaigns - the drug industry tries to influence the medical information that determine its products success or failure. Questions and criticisms about these practices abound, but drug companies deny doing anything untoward.

Pharmaceutical Industry Disclosure Practices