Secretive,partisan and unaccountable authorities work against patient welfare

摘要

The pharmaceutical industry and the regulatory authorities have been strongly criticised by Joe Collier,professor of medicines policy and consultant in clinical pharmacology at St George's Medical School and Hospital,London.Professor Collier said:"Because of commercial interests and political imperatives the industry and the regulatory authorities are secretive,partisan and unaccountable to the public and are prepared to manipulate information for their own ends." He continued:"The over-close relationship inevitably works to the detriment of patient welfare." Professor Collier suggested that more use should be made of senior academics,whose impartiality would be an asset to the assessment process.Speakers from the audience pointed out that pressures associated with research grants from commercial sponsors might affect this impartiality.