Medical specialists and pharmaceutical industry-sponsored research: a survey of the Australian experience.
OBJECTIVE
To characterise research relationships between medical specialists and the pharmaceutical industry in Australia.


METHODS
Questionnaire survey of medical specialists listed in the Medical Directory of Australia and believed to be in active practice, conducted in 2002 and 2003.


METHODS
Details of medical specialists' involvement in pharmaceutical industry-sponsored research, and reports of potentially undesirable research outcomes.


RESULTS
Of 2120 specialists approached, 823 (39%) responded. Participation in pharmaceutical industry-sponsored research was more commonly reported by those in salaried practice (49%) than those in private practice (33%); P < 0.001. 216 reported that industry had made initial contact, compared with 117 who had initiated contact with industry. 14.0% of respondents reported premature termination of industry-sponsored trials, which they considered appropriate when in response to concerns about adverse drug effects. 12.3% of respondents reported that industry staff had written first drafts of reports, which they viewed as an acceptable practice for "internal" documents only. Of greatest concern to respondents were instances of delayed publication or non-publication of key negative findings (reported by 6.7% and 5.1% of respondents, respectively), and concealment of results (2.2%). Overall, 71 respondents (8.6%) had experienced at least one event that could represent breaches of research integrity.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate a high level of engagement in research between the pharmaceutical industry and medical specialists, including those in private practice. Examples of possibly serious research misconduct were reported by 8.6% of respondents, equivalent to 21% of those with an active research relationship with industry.
Henry
David A
DA
School of Medical Practice and Population Health, University of Newcastle, NSW. david.henry@newcastle.edu.au
Kerridge
Ian H
IH
Hill
Suzanne R
SR
McNeill
Paul M
PM
Doran
Evan
E
Newby
David A
DA
Henderson
Kim M
KM
Maguire
Jane
J
Stokes
Barrie J
BJ
Macdonald
Graham J
GJ
Day
Richard O
RO
D001315:Australia; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D004345:Drug Industry; D032984:Ethics, Research; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010820:Physicians; D011331:Private Practice; D017594:Publication Bias; D012108:Research Personnel; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D015871:Scientific Misconduct; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome