Big pharma funding may come with impacts on research, education

In an article about the impact of the pharmaceutical industry on Canadian medical schools, Laura Hensley highlights the many ways that companies interact with faculty, students, and staff. York University Professor Joel Lexchin explained that pharmaceutical companies “want to establish a positive relationship with these medical students that can then go forward” in the students’ professional lives, and make donations that can influence the focus of research conducted at the institution. Several Canadian medical schools have policies in place to combat conflicts of interest and industry bias, and Global News stated that all the provided policies encourage transparency. The schools argue that donations and research funding can help promote quality education, but Lexchin asserts that funds from drug companies come with long-term costs that are often not considered. Global News (National)