http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/323/7324/1268/b

 

BMJ 2001;323:1268 ( 1 December )

News

AMA's new chief executive draws criticism

Fred Charatan, Florida

Within a month of appointing Dr Michael Maves as its new chief executive vice president and chief executive officer, the American Medical Association has found the appointment under fire from a medical consumer group.

Dr Maves, aged 53, was executive vice president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology---Head and Neck Surgery from 1995 to 1999. He has served as professor and chairman of the department of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and at the Georgetown University Medical Center, where he still practises part time.

But Dr Maves is also a former president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association in Washington, DC, which represents the herbal, dietary supplement, and "over the counter" drug industries. As a result, his appointment has drawn harsh criticism from Public Citizen, a non-profitmaking consumer advocacy organisation also based in Washington, DC.

Dr Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said, "To the extent that CHPA [Consumer Healthcare Products Association] now represents the herbal and dietary supplement drug companies, and to the extent that a large proportion of these products lack evidence of safety and efficacy, this [appointment] appears to be another deadly embrace for the AMA."

He added, "Even in the realm of over the counter drugs, CHPA funded and signed off on the design of a Yale study on the decongestant and weight reduction drug PPA [phenylpropanolamine]. But when the study showed a significant increase in haemorrhagic strokes in people using products containing the drug [BMJ 2000;321:1037], CHPA---under the leadership of Dr Maves---denounced the study."

The American Medical Association, however, defended its appointment. "Dr Maves is a proven leader who has distinguished himself across many fronts---academia, organised medicine, and association management. The AMA is excited about the leadership and vision he will bring to our association," said Dr Timothy Flaherty, chairman of the Association's board of trustees.


Dr Maves"s appointment is another "deadly embrace"



© BMJ 2001

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