In reply: We thank Cole for her suggestions. We note the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Guidelines for ethical relationships between physicians and industry state: “Industry sponsorship to attend conferences ... should usually be restricted to those in which the professional anticipates active engagement ... and when attendance without support is not possible”.1
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- University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.
Correspondence: mtatt@med.usyd.edu.au
- 1. Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Guidelines for ethical relationships between physicians and industry. 3rd ed. Sydney: RACP, 2006.
- 2. Tattersall MHN, Dimoska A, Gan K. Patients expect transparency in doctors’ relationships with the pharmaceutical industry. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 65-68. <MJA full text>
- 3. Steinbrook R. Online disclosure of physician–industry relationships. N Engl J Med 2009; 360: 325-327.
- 4. Don’t back down on disclosure [editorial]. Boston Globe 2009; 5 Feb. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2009/02/05/dont_back_down_on_disclosure/ (accessed Mar 2009).
- 5. Royal College of Physicians. Innovating for health. Patients, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS. London: RCP, Feb 2009.
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