Vaccination News Home Page

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/13/health/13JOUR.html

A Medical Journal Eases Conflict Rule

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

he New England Journal of Medicine is relaxing its strict conflict-of-interest rules for authors of certain articles because it cannot find enough experts without financial ties to drug companies.

The change applies to experts who write either editorials or review articles, which are not original studies but overviews of research on a particular drug or treatment. It brings the journal's policy into line with those of other medical publications.

From 1990 until now, the journal's rule was that nobody who wrote a review article or editorial could have any financial interest in a company that made a product discussed by the article, or in any of its competitors.

Now the journal will forbid such articles by authors who receive payments of $10,000 or more a year as a result of such a stake, or who have stock options or patent interests in those companies.

Original studies will continue to indicate the sponsor of the research and disclose any financial stake the author might have.

Vaccination News Home Page

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.