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Sent: Sat 08/03/2008 14:13
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Subject: PHA-Exch> Corporate influences on epidemiology
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Corporate influences on epidemiology
Neil Pearce. Corporate influences on epidemiology. International
Journal of Epidemiology 2008 37(1):46-53.
Abstract
Corporate influences on epidemiology have become stronger and more
pervasive in the last few decades, particularly in the contentious
fields of pharmacoepidemiology and occupational epidemiology. For
every independent epidemiologist studying the side effects of
medicines and the hazardous effects of industrial chemicals, there
are several other epidemiologists hired by industry to attack the
research and to debunk it as 'junk science'. In some instances these
activities have gone as far as efforts to block publication. In many
instances, academics have accepted industry funding which has not
been acknowledged, and only the academic affiliations of the
company-funded consultants have been listed. These activities are
major threats to the integrity of the field, and its survival as a
scientific discipline. There is no simple solution to these problems.
However, for the last two decades there has been substantial
discussion on ethics in epidemiology, partly in response to the
unethical conduct of many industry-funded consultants. Professional
organizations, such as the International Epidemiological Association,
can play a major role in encouraging and supporting epidemiologists
to assert positive principles of how science should work, and how it
should be applied to public policy decisions, rather than simply
having a list of what not to do.
Keywords Epidemiology, epidemiologic methods, ethics
KEY MESSAGES
* Corporate influences on epidemiology have become more pervasive
in the last few decades.
* These influences are major threats to the integrity of the field.
* In response to this there has been substantial discussion on
ethics in epidemiology.
* Professional organisations can play a major role in encouraging
and supporting epidemiologists to assert positive principles of how
science should work and how it can be applied to public policy.
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/37/1/46
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