stealth marketing

We have repeatedly discussed the adverse effects of conflicts of interest on health care.  Recently, I argued that the most pernicious are conflicts of interest created as an incentive for trusted health care leaders, usually respected health care professionals or academics, to promote the vested interests of those who pay them, in the guise of the leaders' professional roles.  In this capacity, the leaders are often dubbed "key opinion leaders" by those who employ them, but may be rega

Before it was abruptly ended by a sudden settlement for $158 million, the trial in Texas of a suit alleging unethical marketing of the drug Respirdal (risperidone) by the Janssen subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson opened yet another window on organized stealth marketing campaigns in health care.

(Note that we first discussed this case here in 2006, and that this trial and the case was ably covered in detail on the 1BoringOldMan blog.) 

We have frequently discussed the use of organized, deceptive stealth marketing campaigns to influence physicians to prescribe pharmaceuticals.

Now more information is coming to light about similar campaigns to influence physicians to use particular medical devices

In our side-bar to the right we have a section for "Upcoming Meetings and Events."  Sadly, it is often empty.  Perhaps as a result of the anechoic effect, there seem to be few talks, workshops, much less symposia, conferences, and courses on the issues we discuss on Health Care Renewal. 

However, I am happy to now note two upcoming events of interest.

We have posted quite a bit about ghost-written articles, that is, ostensibly scholarly articles appearing in medical and health care journals with apparently prominent authors that were really written mainly by medical writers hired by companies to market particular products, usually drugs.  Now we hear of a case of a ghost-written book.  Our fellow bloggers have covered this well.  See posts here and

Woe to those of us who have been advocates for evidence-based medicine.  A short description of the evidence-based medicine is medicine whose practice is informed by critical, rigorous review of the best available evidence from clinical research as revealed by systematic search of the published research literature, as well as by the clinician's understanding of biology and the medical and biopsychosocial context, and by the patient's own values.

You just can't make this stuff up. On the Respectful Insolence blog, Orac recounted how pharmaceutical giant Merck hired medical publishing giant Elsevier to create what appeared to be a peer-reviewed journal, but theAustralasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine really was just a marketing outlet.

The goal was to market Fosamax and Vioxx.

On the Reidbord's Reflections blog, Dr Steven Reidbord recounted how he was invited to speak at a big and glitzy event, part of the national tour for "GOAL" (go on and live).

We have previously posted about instances of stealth marketing in public television (here and here.) Now Shannon Brownlee and Jennifer Lenzer have published "Stealth Marketers: Are Doctors Shilling for Drug Companies on Public Radio" i

In the Health Beat Blog, Maggie Mahar discussed how a branch of a labor union, the International Association of EMTS and Paramedics, an affiliate of The National Association of Government Employees (IAEP/SEIU), has been helping to market Lipitor (atorvastatin, by Pfizer Inc).

I am not sure I have heard of previous cases of labor unions enlisted in stealth marketing efforts by pharmaceutical companies.