|
News Media May Offer Misleading Drug Information
On June 1st 2000 the Associated Press ran a story that strongly suggested
that many of the news releases on drugs commonly run on major news organizations
may be very misleading. The AP news story was reporting on a study conducted by
researchers from Harvard University and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and
reported in the June 1st 2000 New England Journal of Medicine. In that study
researchers reviewed 207 stories by U.S. news media of the benefits and risks of
three medications that are used to prevent major diseases. These medications
were pravastatin, a drug reported for the prevention of cardiovascular disease;
alendronate, a drug reported for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis;
and aspirin, which has been widely reported recently as a preventative for heart
problems.
The researchers noted inaccuracies in reporting the results but noted severe
problems with researchers who had a financial interest in the drug they were
reporting on. The article said, "Of the 170 stories citing an expert or a
scientific study, 85 (50 percent) cited at least one expert or study with a
financial tie to a manufacturer of the drug that had been disclosed in the
scientific literature. These ties were disclosed in only 33 (39 percent) of the
85 stories." In their conclusion the researchers wrote, "News-media
stories about medications may include inadequate or incomplete information about
the benefits, risks, and costs of the drugs as well as the financial ties
between study groups or experts and pharmaceutical manufacturers."
|