CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Not only practitioners but also physicians doing clinical research at teaching hospitals are joining the entrepreneurial trend. Manufacturers of new drugs, devices, and clinical tests are entering into financial arrangements with clinicians engaged in testing their products - and the results of those studies may have an important effect on the commercial success of the product. Clinical investigators may own equity interest in the company that produces the product or may serve as paid consultants and scientific advisers, thus calling into question their ability to act as rigorously impartial evaluators. . .
. . . unfortunately this obvious conflict of interest has so far been ignored, or at least tolerated, in many. . . institutions.
