Canadian Journal Finds that Conflicts of Interest Are Not Often Prominently Displayed

According to a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), failure to disclose organizational financial conflicts of interests by producers of Canadian clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on medications is widespread.

The study sought to understand the existence and disclosure of industry-related organizational funding in the CPGs, financial conflicts of interest of committee members, and organizational procedures for managing conflicts of interest. To that end, authors researched CPGs published between January 1, 2016 and November 30, 2018. CPGs had to have a national focus and either a first-line drug recommendation or a screening recommendation leading to drug treatment. Authors wound up with 21 CPGs – 3 from government-sponsored organizations, 9 from disease or condition groups, and 9 from medical professional societies.

Findings

The study’s authors found that none of the three government-sponsored guideline producers received industry funding and none of their members disclosed financial conflicts of interest. Of the other 18, the vast majority (14) reported on their websites that they received industry funding from drug manufacturers. Of the remaining four CPGs, three did not disclose. However, none of the CPG producers included disclosures in any of the guidelines.

Twelve of the fourteen CPGs that included conflict-of-interest disclosure statements in had at least one committee member with a financial conflict and for all eight CPGs with identifiable chairs or cochairs, at least one of the chair or co-chairs had a financial conflict of interest. None of the guidelines described a plan to manage organizational financial conflicts of interest.

Study Conclusions

In summing up their findings, the authors of the study believe that “[t]he CPG producers that receive industry funding should disclose organizational financial conflicts in the CPGs, should engage independent oversight committees and should restrict voting on recommendations to guideline panelists who have no financial conflicts.”

Is There More to It?

While we see studies each year that show there is a connection between industry and physicians, and those studies always seem to have a negative connotation between the connection, industry’s connection to physicians on the front lines can be an important part of public policy. We are starting to see the importance of industry as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Without critical physician relationships, the pharmaceutical industry may not be able to find a cure for COVID-19 quickly.

Disclosure statements may be helpful to those consuming the information, but a properly-made disclosure should not always be construed in the negative light we often see.