pharmaceutical Corporate funding endangers medicine

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Don't Let Corporate Power, Financial Influence Compromise Science/

Profession Of Psychology, APA Task Force Warns

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry News

Article Date: 12 Dec 2007 - 5:00 PST

Corporate funding - particularly from pharmaceutical companies - has

the potential to create both individual and institutional conflicts of

interest and could pose a threat to the integrity of psychological

research and practice, according to a special task force of the

American Psychological Association.

APA's Presidential Task Force on External Funding reviewed research,

media reports and other sources to conclude that strong policies,

education and continuing education are necessary to protect the

integrity of the science and practice of psychology. The eight-member

task force has recommended that APA set clear limits on its dealings

with pharmaceutical companies and other corporate entities in specific

ways, including disclosing relationships between these companies and

any research published in APA journals.

Initiated in 2002 by then-APA President Philip Zimbardo, PhD, the task

force was charged with reviewing APA policies and practices regarding

the acceptance of funding or other material support from private

corporations. The group chose to focus on pharmaceutical funding as a

case example because its effects on the science and profession of

medicine are well-documented " and provide a telling example of the

distortions and unintended consequences that can occur when academic

centers, scientists and practitioners become overly dependent on

for-profit industries, " according to the group's report.

The 23 unanimous recommendations of the task force are published in

the December issue of American Psychologist, the official journal of

the American Psychological Association.

" We anticipate that corporate funding will become more of an issue for

psychologists in the future for several reasons, " several task force

members wrote in the journal. " The increasing influence of large

corporations in daily life, the likelihood of increasing numbers of

prescribing psychologists, the aging of the population of the United

States and the potential increase in markets for pharmaceutical

products aimed at behavioral and mental health problems are trends

that are likely to bring issues of corporate funding closer to the

work of psychologists. "

Task force co-chair S. Pachter, PhD, JD, lead author of the

article, said she hopes the group's work will stimulate broad

discussion of the issues and strengthen the culture of independence

and integrity within the sciences and related professions, which could

otherwise become vulnerable in the face of corporate challenges and

inducements.

" APA and other scientific and professional associations can provide

leadership in maintaining scientific and professional integrity in at

least two ways, " she said. " First, by example in implementing

thoughtful policies with respect to industry funding, and second,

through education and continuing education in the basic values of the

scientific professions and in how to identify and respond to the

challenges posed by corporate funding. "

While noting that corporate funding is currently a tiny portion of the

overall APA budget, APA Chief Executive Officer Norman , PhD,

welcomed the report, saying it " raises important issues for the

association and for everyone engaged in scientific research, not just

psychologists. "

" We all must guard against compromising the integrity of scientific

research, " he said. " Vigilance and full disclosure are essential to

preserving the independence and credibility of psychological science,

practice and education. "

Among the task force's other recommendations:

- All raw data for any study published in one of APA's journals should

be made available to any qualified scientist for independent review.

- Any financial conflicts of interest must be disclosed for any

psychology-sponsored presentation, publication, electronic mailing

list, interaction with a research human subject or policy-making

public meeting.

- Journals should carry disclaimers about the accuracy of claims in

advertisements.

- All initiated clinical trials should be registered in a public

registry before trial implementation in order to qualify for

publication in any APA journal. Furthermore, APA should consider

starting its own clinical trial registry.

- APA members should be advised of potential biases inherent in

accepting inducements that could affect the selection of texts, the

use of particular tests and/or sponsorship of continuing education

courses.

- APA seminars, lectures and continuing education courses presenting

commercial products should discuss competing products.

- Continuing education seminar participants should be asked to

evaluate the perceived commercial biases in presentations.

- Psychologists should be discouraged from accepting gifts and

perquisites from pharmaceutical companies, even when such gifts are of

modest value.

- External funds should never be a part of APA's operating or core

budget, including both direct and indirect costs.

Article: " Corporate Funding and Conflicts of Interest, " S.

Pachter, PhD, JD, Washington, DC; E. Fox, PhD, Human Resources

Consultants; Philip Zimbardo, PhD, Stanford University; O.

Antonuccio, PhD, University of Nevada School of Medicine; American

Psychologist, Vol. 62, No. 9.

The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is

the largest scientific and professional organization representing

psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association

of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 148,000

researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through

its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60

state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to

advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of

promoting health, education and human welfare.

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