Stanford University is expected to unveil plans today to develop new, bias-free programs of continuing medical education for doctors, The New York Times reports. The work is being made possible by a $3-million grant from the drug maker Pfizer. The university announced in 2008 that it would severely restrict industry support for medical education in order to avoid conflicts of interest. Adriane Fugh-Berman, a Georgetown University medical professor, called the announcement “self-satirizing.” But Stanford’s medical dean, Philip Pizzo, said he understood the skepticism about whether an industry-backed approach could be free of bias, but asserted that Pfizer would have no say in how the grant was used.
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One Response to Stanford to Create Continuing-Medical-Education Courses With Industry Grant
greenhills73 - January 11, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Give ‘em a chance and see if there is bias in the curriculum. If the dean says that Pfizer won’t have a say, then give him the benefit of the doubt and take his word until he’s proven wrong. If your institution has all the resources it needs and wouldn’t accept a grant like this, then more power to it, but I think most would have a hard time turning it down. OK, I’m just guessing here. Feel free to set me straight if I’m out in left field.