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Sen. Grassley has questions for medical journals

By Phillips & Cohen LLP

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican member of the Finance Committee, wants leading medical journals to outline their policies on ghostwriting.

Sen. Grassley has sent a letter to eight medical journals as part of his inquiry into whether drug and medical device companies are paying for draft articles and getting prominent doctors and researchers to sign on as authors, even though they may have had minimal involvement in the writing.

The letter continues, "Concerns have been raised... that some medical literature may be little more than subtle advertisements rather than independent research. The information in these articles can have a significant impact on doctors? prescribing behavior and, in turn, on the American taxpayer, as the Medicare and Medicaid programs pay billions of dollars for prescription drugs and medical devices."

Grassley had previously sent similar letters to several pharmaceutical companies and medical publishers.

Full post as published by False Claims Act - Qui Tam on July 20, 2009 (boomark / email).