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Letters to the Editor
Published Online: 21 October 2005

Drop Industry Symposia

Burton V. Reifler, M.D., M.P.H.Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric News
Volume 40, Number 20
https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.40.20.00400029a
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In his August 19 column titled “Big Pharma and American Psychiatry: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” APA President Steven Sharfstein, M.D., offered excellent recommendations for remedies in our relationship with industry. I would like to suggest another one.
At our annual meeting, we should have just one class of symposia, eliminating the ones directly supported by industry. Industry-supported symposia are treated differently from “regular” symposia—speakers get generous honoraria, attendees get free meals, and APA gets revenue.
While we have greatly improved our monitoring of industry symposia, they remain funded by Big Pharma, which, as Dr. Sharfstein wrote, is“ governed by the motive of selling products and making money.”
Of course there is a downside to eliminating industry symposia—some big-name speakers would not be present at the meeting, some potential attendees would stay at home, and APA would have less in its coffers. But it's the right thing to do.

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Psychiatric News
Volume 40 • Number 20 • October 21, 2005
Pages: 29

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Published online: 21 October 2005
Published in print: October 21, 2005

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Burton V. Reifler, M.D., M.P.H.
Winston-Salem, N.C.
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