Category Archives: Crikey register of influence

Crikey Register of Influence raises more questions for the Baker Institute

July 15, 2009 – 11:17 am

The Crikey Register of Influence – which details links between opinion leaders, organisations and industry marketing campaigns – has been updated.
The new entries are Professor Simon Stewart, Head, Preventive Cardiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, and his colleague, Dr Melinda Carrington, General Manager of the Baker’s Disease Management and Preventative Programs.
They appeared [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Health inequalities, conflicts of interest, health & medical marketing, pharmaceutical industry | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Has anyone the time, interest or funding for these stories?

June 17, 2009 – 10:57 am

In case there are any researchers or journalists out there with too much time on their hands, here are two ideas for stories or research projects.
• What is the role of the media in Mr Ward’s death?
The 4 Corners report on the death of Mr Ward, an Aboriginal man who was incarcerated in the most [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Health inequalities, Indigenous health, Media-related issues, adverse events, conflicts of interest | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (4)

Truth in scientific publishing? Not quite what it seems…

May 11, 2009 – 11:38 am

The Vioxx case in the Federal Court in Melbourne continues to produce a stream of interesting and illuminating revelations although I had to chuckle at one specialist’s efforts to downplay his profession’s skills in marketing. “I would have thought getting medical practitioners to be marketers would have been the death knell of a product because [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Journal articles, Media-related issues, adverse events, conflicts of interest, health & medical marketing, health and medical research, health ethics | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Some more thoughts on the Baker/Sanofi deal

May 6, 2009 – 12:19 pm

A pharmacy researcher who wishes to remain anonymous has sent in this comment regarding the funding deal between the Baker and Sanofi Aventis (for more background info, see here, and here and here):
“Agreements between not for profit research institutes and the pharmaceutical industry can be fraught with conflict, even if an iron clad contract is [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in conflicts of interest, health & medical marketing, health and medical research, health ethics, pharmacy, quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

The Baker boss responds to the alarm bells

April 29, 2009 – 6:00 pm

Garry Jennings. director of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, has sent in the following response to concerns raised at Croakey and elsewhere, with a link to a question and answer document on the Institute’s website:
“We thank everyone for their comments. This is an innovative donation arrangement so we are not surprised at the [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Media-related issues, conflicts of interest, health & medical marketing, health ethics | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Some responses to the deal between Sanofi-Aventis and the Baker

April 29, 2009 – 10:57 am

Dr Ken Harvey, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Public Health, La Trobe University, has written a long comment on my post below, and it is well worth a read. He also advises that he is putting in a complaint to Medicines Australia about the Sanofi-Aventis campaign.
Meanwhile, here are some other comments on the deal:
Dr [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Media-related issues, conflicts of interest, health & medical marketing, health ethics | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Who’s the loser with this clever drug company campaign?

April 28, 2009 – 6:30 pm

You’ve got to hand it to Sanofi-Aventis.
At the same time as the Vioxx case before the Federal Court is producing an alarming string of stories about the hazards of overly close ties between doctors and pharma (as an example, see this story in the Oz and this one in The Age), Sanofi-Aventis has enticed a [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Media-related issues, conflicts of interest, health & medical marketing, health ethics | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

The hijacking of medical education

April 2, 2009 – 10:17 am

Brett Forge, a physician and cardiologist from Warragul in Victoria, has sent in the
following comments regarding his inclusion on the Crikey Register of Influence:
Dear Crikey
Many thanks for the dubious honour of being included on your register of influence.
It is an inadequate way of investigating medical corruption but it may at least start a discussion on [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in conflicts of interest, evidence-based issues, health & medical marketing, health and medical research, health ethics, private health insurance, quality and safety of health care, surgery | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Should experts keep out of industry advertising? Some more views…

December 8, 2008 – 4:34 pm

Professor Warwick Anderson, the ceo of the NHMRC, recently set the cat amongst the pigeons with a call for doctors and other health professionals to avoid appearing in advertising for pharmaceuticals or other health and medical products. He also suggested that they steer clear of commercially driven disease-awareness campaigns.
At the time, I thought it [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Media-related issues, conflicts of interest, general practice | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Is it time to end expert-based advertising?

December 4, 2008 – 12:13 pm

Professor Warwick Anderson, the ceo of the NHMRC, thinks so. As reported in Crikey today, he’s suggested that doctors and other health professionals avoid appearing in advertising for pharmaceuticals or other health and medical products, and that they also steer clear of commercially driven disease-awareness campaigns.
Croakey is surveying the heads of medical research institutes and [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Media-related issues, Uncategorized, conflicts of interest | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)