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NEWS FROM
CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE
October 1, 2008
News Media Fail to Disclose Pharmaceutical Company Funding in
Stories about Medication Research
New Study from Harvard Medical School Researchers at Cambridge
Health Alliance Finds Readers Not Informed of Possible Pharmaceutical
Company Biases
- Study Sponsored by the Department of Medicine at Cambridge
Health Alliance -
Cambridge, MA…Despite growing evidence that medical research
funded by pharmaceutical companies may be biased in favor of the
sponsors' products, many newspaper and online stories on medication
studies neglect to indicate who paid for the research, according
to a new study published in the October 1st issue of JAMA,
the Journal of the American Medical Association.
While most medical journals require that authors reveal their funding
sources, the study, conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers
at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), found that 42 percent of news
articles on medication studies did not disclose the funding sources.
In addition, just three percent of the publications and online outlets
surveyed even had written policies governing disclosure.
The authors reviewed more than 300 online and newspaper articles
on company-funded medication studies published in medical journals
between March 2004 and April 2008 and also surveyed health editors
at the most widely circulated newspapers in the U.S. to assess their
views and practices regarding the reporting of medical research.
"We in the medical community realize that research funded
by pharmaceutical companies can't always be trusted," said
lead author Dr. Michael Hochman, a resident physician at CHA and
a clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School. "The
fact that news articles often do not indicate when studies have
received company funding means that readers may not have the information
they need to evaluate the trustworthiness of new research findings."
Additionally, the study revealed that two-thirds of the news articles
referred to medications by the pharmaceutical company brand names
rather than the generic names. Just 2% of the newspaper editors
surveyed reported that their publications had written policies stating
that articles must refer to medications by generic names.
The use of brand names may confuse patients, as many medications
come in multiple brands, and it also could promote the unnecessary
prescription of expensive brand medications when equally effective
generics could suffice. "The unfortunate reality is that all
of us - patients, doctors, and the news media - have learned to
refer to medications by their brand names," said co-author
Dr. David Bor, CHA's Chief of Medicine and Charles S. Davidson Associate
Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "We need to
make a concerted effort to use generic names to reduce confusion
and limit potential health care cost increases."
The authors hope their findings will inspire news organizations
to make changes in the way they cover company-funded medical research.
"Since most people, including many health care professionals,
get medical information from the lay press, we want journalists
to implement and enforce strict policies ensuring that they cite
funding sources for medical research and identify medications by
their non-proprietary generic names," said senior author Dr.
Danny McCormick, a primary care physician at CHA and an assistant
professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "We should
expect that the news media provide information that is accurate,
fair, and comprehensive, and thus serve as a watchdog for the public
good."
"News Media Coverage of Medication Research" published
by the Journal of the American Medical Association. October
1, 2008; 300 (13). Authors: Michael Hochman, MD (CHA/HMS), Steven
Hochman (Pomona College), David Bor, MD (CHA/HMS), and Danny McCormick,
MD, MPH (CHA/HMS).
Cambridge Health Alliance is an innovative, award-winning
health system that provides high quality care in Cambridge, Somerville,
and Boston's metro-north communities. It includes three hospital
campuses, more than 20 primary care and specialty practices, the
Cambridge Public Health Dept., and the Network Health plan. CHA
is a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate and is also affiliated
with Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine,
and Tufts University School of Medicine.
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Media Contact
David Cecere
Media Relations Manager
Phone: 617-503-8428
Cell: 617-921-9613
Pager: 617-546-1879
dcecere@challiance.org
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