A Real Doc Fix

  • by: |
  • 12/26/2012

The following from Dr. Michael Weber, Chairman of the Center for Medicine in the Pubic Interest and a founding father of the Association of Clinical Researchers and Educators (ACRE).

Most medical progress in the last few decades has come from the combined efforts of medical practitioners and the pharmaceutical industry, the medical device industry and the makers of other innovative therapeutic and diagnostic products.

Physicians, particularly those in academic settings, are uniquely able to identify unmet needs, design research to address these needs, and ultimately interpret and disseminate the results of that work to the benefit of their colleagues and patients in the community.  Industry has the talent and resources to undertake the detailed research and development to complement the work of their physician partners and to deal with the highly complex scientific, regulatory and financial hurdles that must be crossed before new products can be made available.

Sadly, this highly productive collaboration has come under attack.  The reasons are nothing to do with scientific or ethical concerns, but rather are driven by the fear of health care insurers and some politicians and media writers that medical progress comes at a financial cost that could threaten the profits of commercial insurers and the budgets of government agencies.

While understandable, these attempts to stifle medical research and education -- for instance, such tools as the Sunshine Act within the Affordable Care Act -- create an even higher cost, for  they will have the effect of preventing access of people with medical needs to new clinical developments that could increase the length and quality of their lives.

The Association of Clinical Researchers and Educators (ACRE), in response to these dangerous constraints being placed on physicians, has gone back to basics and written a statement – in essence, a set of guidelines – on how physicians should interact with medical industries to fully preserve the high ethical standards, scientific integrity and clinical productivity that have characterized this vital work.

The guidelines (as published in Endocrine Practice) can be accessed here.

CMPI

Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization promoting innovative solutions that advance medical progress, reduce health disparities, extend life and make health care more affordable, preventive and patient-centered. CMPI also provides the public, policymakers and the media a reliable source of independent scientific analysis on issues ranging from personalized medicine, food and drug safety, health care reform and comparative effectiveness.

Blog Roll

Alliance for Patient Access Alternative Health Practice
AHRP
Better Health
BigGovHealth
Biotech Blog
BrandweekNRX
CA Medicine man
Cafe Pharma
Campaign for Modern Medicines
Carlat Psychiatry Blog
Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look
Conservative's Forum
Club For Growth
CNEhealth.org
Diabetes Mine
Disruptive Women
Doctors For Patient Care
Dr. Gov
Drug Channels
DTC Perspectives
eDrugSearch
Envisioning 2.0
EyeOnFDA
FDA Law Blog
Fierce Pharma
fightingdiseases.org
Fresh Air Fund
Furious Seasons
Gooznews
Gel Health News
Hands Off My Health
Health Business Blog
Health Care BS
Health Care for All
Healthy Skepticism
Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma
Hugh Hewitt
IgniteBlog
In the Pipeline
In Vivo
Instapundit
Internet Drug News
Jaz'd Healthcare
Jaz'd Pharmaceutical Industry
Jim Edwards' NRx
Kaus Files
KevinMD
Laffer Health Care Report
Little Green Footballs
Med Buzz
Media Research Center
Medrants
More than Medicine
National Review
Neuroethics & Law
Newsbusters
Nurses For Reform
Nurses For Reform Blog
Opinion Journal
Orange Book
PAL
Peter Rost
Pharm Aid
Pharma Blog Review
Pharma Blogsphere
Pharma Marketing Blog
Pharmablogger
Pharmacology Corner
Pharmagossip
Pharmamotion
Pharmalot
Pharmaceutical Business Review
Piper Report
Polipundit
Powerline
Prescription for a Cure
Public Plan Facts
Quackwatch
Real Clear Politics
Remedyhealthcare
Shark Report
Shearlings Got Plowed
StateHouseCall.org
Taking Back America
Terra Sigillata
The Cycle
The Catalyst
The Lonely Conservative
TortsProf
Town Hall
Washington Monthly
World of DTC Marketing
WSJ Health Blog