There’s a very interesting article in Slate.com called, Spin Doctors: How drug companies keep tabs on physicians. It takes you through how weekly prescriber reports are created, and how companies use these reports to learn what each doc in a specific territory prescribed, and how much of it.can show the names of the doctors in a rep’s territory and what each doctor prescribed and how much of it. Well worth a read, especially if you’re a physician.

A reader recently pointed me toward a few posts on the Health Care Renewal blog:

Media Reports on How Pharmaceutical Companies May Manipulate Information

Editorial Argues Against Softening NIH Conflict of Interest Rules

A Troubling Study of the Contracts Between Medical Schools and Corporate Research Sponsors

Wall Street Journal: Medical Editor Turns Activist On Drug Trials

Given all, this, how is it possible for CME providers to, as the ACCME now requires,  identify and resolve ALL conflicts of interest for a CME program? This reader says, “Based on what I have read over the past months, we are only scratching the surface at the CME level regarding the whole issue of providing quality, unbiased, balanced education. It’s kind of like decorating a burnt cake with pretty icing.”

I have to agree that, given the relatively widespread nature of the financial ties that could bind, this all just makes it that much harder to resolve conflicts. Or even identify them, especially in cases where it’s been institutionalized and an individual may not even know what all ties he or she has, much less those of a spouse or other family member.

How far do you have to go to get a truly unbiased activity?