Overregulation of conflicts hinders medical progress.
The revolution in medicine and technology over the past few decades is largely the result of partnerships--or a "harmony of interests"--between private companies and entrepreneurial scientists and clinicians. Regulations to prevent conflicts of interest by restricting medical education, medical research, expert advisory functions, or researcher ownership of inventions may have the unintended consequence of slowing medical progress.
Stossel
Thomas P
TP
Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. tstossel@partners.org
D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D016520:Entrepreneurship / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D016134:Organizational Policy; D014481:United States