Readers may recall that I have written fairly often about the changing mores of medical journals vis-a-vis the pharmaceutical companies. Part of the problem lies with the FDA, which has remained silent on the issue. However, in the waning days of Bush II, the FDA did speak up by issuing a "guidance" document which authorized drug companies to use articles in medical journals as part of their marketing arsenal.
The FDA did so despite protests by Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the VA, attorneys general of Illinois and Oregon, health advocacy groups, insurers and state prosecutors. Furthermore, in the past five years alone courts have awarded over $6 billion in suits against the drug companies for off-label marketing. Yet, our government thought this was a good idea. Will the new managers of the FDA rescind this "guidance" document? Will medical journals monitor the articles they print? Will pharmaceutical companies rein themselves in?
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