eMJA     The Medical Journal of Australia

Home | Issues | eMJA shop | Classifieds | Contact | More... | Topics | Search | Login | Buy full access   

Letters

You oughta be congratulated?

Alex A Padiglione, Catherine E Marshall and Tony M Korman
MJA 2002 177 (7): 400

To the Editor: We write to express our concern at the publication of the recent supplement "Essential role of fats throughout the lifecycle", adorned by the sponsor's logo.1 It was an interesting counterpoint to an accompanying article in the main journal regarding the need for industry–academia collaborations to "strike a balance".2 While the issue of relationships between industry and doctors is complex, and few of us are truly independent, the publication of such a branded document is disquieting. Directed sponsorship, beyond mere advertising, undermines the credibility of such supplements and the Journal itself, regardless of the authors' expertise, objectivity and the importance of the topic. Unfortunately, we are left with the taste that this is a spread designed to butter us up.

  1. Gibson RA, editor. Essential role of fats throughout the lifecycle. Med J Aust 2002;176 (Suppl 3 June): S105-S124. <eMJA full text>
  2. Moses H, Perumpanani A, Nicholson J. Collaborating with industry: choices for Australian medicine and universities. Med J Aust 2002; 176: 543-546. <PubMed> <eMJA full text>

(Received 18 Jun 2002, accepted 10 Jul 2002)

Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, VIC.

Alex A Padiglione, MB BS (Hons), FRACP, Infectious Diseases Physician; Catherine E Marshall, MB BS, Registrar; Tony M Korman, MB BS (Hons), FRACP, Director.

Correspondence: Dr Alex A Padiglione, Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, VIC 3168. alex.padiglioneATmed.monash.edu.au

Home | Issues | eMJA shop | Terms of use | Classifieds | More... | Contact | Topics | Search

The Medical Journal of Australia    eMJA  

©The Medical Journal of Australia 2002 www.mja.com.au PRINT ISSN: 0025-729X ONLINE ISSN: 1326-5377