In reply: We agree with Dietz that unbiased sources of information about new therapeutic options are increasing, and many are available electronically. Virtual Mentor, the American Medical Association’s ethics journal, has suggested reducing drug company influence on doctors’ prescribing by stopping companies paying for continuing medical education,1 and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is exposing this issue.
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- 1 Department of Cancer Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW.
- 2 Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, University of Sydney, NSW.
- 1. Sound prescribing. Virtual Mentor. AMA Journal of Ethics 2006; 8(6).
- 2. Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Guidelines for ethical relationships between physicians and industry. 3rd ed. Sydney: RACP, 2006. http://www.racp.edu.au/public/publications.htm (accessed Nov 2006).
- 3. Stop the gravy train [editorial]. Sydney Morning Herald 2006; 7 Aug: 8.