Response (Barry Blackwell)
Barry Blackwell's response to Thomas Ban's reply to his comments on Ban's essay on Conflict of Interest in Neuropsychopharmacology: Marketing vs. Education
"The nub of our disagreement lies in your concluding assertion that "pointing fingers at individuals and blaming industry ... does not resolve the issue." On this we agree except for the implications. Blame is an impotent strategy unless it is accompanied by consequences and sanctions. If the FDA, Law courts and Congress required industry to be honest (and scrupulously scientific) and academic institutions fined or fired faculty who are well funded false prophets then "conflict of interest" would disappear. This is why I called your definition a "straw man" - it leads to no solution."
Barry Blackwell
June 12, 2014