Ben Goldacre calls for mutual criticism and soul-searching

On Wednesday, John and Rory attended the latest MedComms networking event, an informal Q&A-style meeting with Dr Ben Goldacre – writer, broadcaster and author of Bad Science, a scathing indictment of the (mis)presentation of scientific research by government, the pharma industry and the media. Addressing an audience of MedComms professionals, there was little doubt that this would be a lively discussion on both sides, especially in light of Elliott Ross’ inflammatory article ‘How drug companies’ PR tactics skew the presentation of medical research’, published only a few days ago.

Ben made it clear from the outset that he was not overstating the issue by saying that the pharmaceutical industry’s “systematic control and skewing of the evidence base had killed patients”. Strong words. But his audience didn’t back down lightly: they argued that Ben didn’t fully appreciate the issues surrounding the presentation of data to different audiences, the need to publish manuscripts as opposed to simply listing data in an unrefined form on online databases; or that pharmaceutical organisations are structured such that the medical writers and information specialists are far removed from the decision makers.

However, in the end, most acknowledged that despite recent improvements in self-regulation and transparency over the past 10 years or so, the industry still has some way to go before it can claim to be whiter than white. Ben’s insistence on mutual criticism and standing up for best practices should not be taken as blanket criticism but as a call to arms to ensure that we continue to take steps to improve the reputation and standards of conduct within our industry.