Good or Bad?

[MylesBAstor]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/17/glaxosmithkline-pay-doctors_n_4457286.html

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Good on first analysis, but I don't trust their altruism and await the falling of the next foot.

Tim

 

[jazdoc]

For a practicing physician seeing patients, I believe it is unethical to accept gifts or payments from any medical company. It's a difficult enough job without the overlay of an inherent conflict of interest such payments inevitably create.

In today's real world of research, I understand that the cooperation/fudnding between physicians and medical device makers/pharmaceutical companies is not going to change soon. This requires a high level of transparency on both sides and more than a little skepticism in the peer reviewed literature and mass media.