Reconnecting the Dots — Reinterpreting Industry–Physician Relations

Some physician–industry interactions may compromise scientific integrity, but others have wrought many benefits. If we examine our emotional reactions, perhaps we can shift the tone of discussion about conflicts of interest from outrage to rational assessment. In November 2013, shortly after the release of controversial new cholesterol guidelines that expanded the target population for preventive statin therapy, I ran into a man known for his work on eliminating unnecessary medical care. “Can you believe the guidelines?” he asked. Then he added, shaking his head, “The authors are all in bed with the pharmaceutical industry. It’s a marketing scheme to get more people on statins.” He was not alone in that perception. In a New York Times op-ed, for example, a cardiologist and another physician and industry critic argued that making more patients eligible for statin therapy . . .