Comments on: Texas Med Center Bans Industry Gifts http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/11/texas-med-center-bans-industry-gifts/ News, Comment and Conversation Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:17:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ed Silverman http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/11/texas-med-center-bans-industry-gifts/#comment-28077 Ed Silverman Thu, 22 Nov 2007 02:09:22 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/11/texas-med-center-bans-industry-gifts/#comment-28077 Dear Tex, You're right, I'm not from Texas. I'm from Brooklyn. That said, I did something headline writers do when they don't have much space - I went for a few words that would be most easily recognizable to the largest number of people. Outside Texas, not too many people would recognize UTHSC-San Antonio. Moreover, UTHSC is a marbly mouthful. My apologies, though, if my approach turned you off. But I had to make a choice and, for better or worse, that's I went with. Next time, I'll try to find something more eloquent and accurate. Thanks for writing in. ed at Pharmalot Dear Tex,

You’re right, I’m not from Texas. I’m from Brooklyn. That said, I did something headline writers do when they don’t have much space - I went for a few words that would be most easily recognizable to the largest number of people. Outside Texas, not too many people would recognize UTHSC-San Antonio. Moreover, UTHSC is a marbly mouthful. My apologies, though, if my approach turned you off. But I had to make a choice and, for better or worse, that’s I went with. Next time, I’ll try to find something more eloquent and accurate.

Thanks for writing in.

ed at Pharmalot

]]> By: fromTexas http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/11/texas-med-center-bans-industry-gifts/#comment-28074 fromTexas Thu, 22 Nov 2007 01:53:56 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/11/texas-med-center-bans-industry-gifts/#comment-28074 The writer clearly is not from Texas because he says the "Texas Med Center" banned gifts from the pharmaceutical industry. This is about UTHSC-San Antonio. The TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER specifically means the medical complex in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, which has UT-Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. Pharmaceutical reps are still crawling there (as I know my uncle flew there recently, working for Merck). The writer clearly is not from Texas because he says the “Texas Med Center” banned gifts from the pharmaceutical industry. This is about UTHSC-San Antonio. The TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER specifically means the medical complex in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, which has UT-Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. Pharmaceutical reps are still crawling there (as I know my uncle flew there recently, working for Merck).

]]> By: Dr. Remulac http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/11/texas-med-center-bans-industry-gifts/#comment-25640 Dr. Remulac Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:05:15 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/11/texas-med-center-bans-industry-gifts/#comment-25640 As a former academic and current pharma scientist, I am all for such high-minded ideals such as this. However, I find it ironic that these holier-than-thou medical institutions publicly decry the pharma industry while all the while having their hand out privately. UPMC and UTHSC will have my respect when they no longer demand that their institutions be paid overhead (often as high as 30%-40%)when legitimate research grants from pharma are given to investigators at their centers, nor should they continue to accept salary and benefit support for study personnel based on % effort. Furthermore, they should prohibit faculty and staff from owning drug company stocks, even in the form of mutual fund holdings....that is, if they are truly interested in removing conflicts of interest. fat chance. As a former academic and current pharma scientist, I am all for such high-minded ideals such as this. However, I find it ironic that these holier-than-thou medical institutions publicly decry the pharma industry while all the while having their hand out privately. UPMC and UTHSC will have my respect when they no longer demand that their institutions be paid overhead (often as high as 30%-40%)when legitimate research grants from pharma are given to investigators at their centers, nor should they continue to accept salary and benefit support for study personnel based on % effort. Furthermore, they should prohibit faculty and staff from owning drug company stocks, even in the form of mutual fund holdings….that is, if they are truly interested in removing conflicts of interest. fat chance.

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