Drug Companies Donate to Doctors’ Charities
June 28, 2006
Some doctors in private practice have started charities to pay for medical research or education, and those groups are receiving large donations from drug companies, reports The New York Times. Critics of the arrangements say they can lead to biased decisions and questionable research findings.
The relationship between such nonprofit organizations—whose number is unclear—and doctors is being scrutinized by federal officials, the paper reports.
“It obviously sets a fertile ground for conflict of interest and misuse of funds,” Robert M. Califf, vice chancellor for clinical research at Duke University Medical Center, told the Times.
