Views sought on drug industry relationships

Published: 07 December 2012

Royal College of Nursing members are being asked to take part in a survey that explores the views of health professionals on the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and medical education.

The survey is being co-ordinated by the Ethical Standards in Health and Life Sciences Group (ESHLSG), whose cross-sector membership is drawn from the medical community and the pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic industries.

It is hoped the survey will reveal any concerns around commercial support for medical education, and the results will inform future work and recommendations of the group.

Nurses are currently under-represented in the data and the RCN, as a member of the ESHLSG, is urging members to ensure that views from nursing are not missed.

The ESHLSG seeks to develop the relationships between health professionals and commercial life science organisations to create a platform for increased collaboration and partnership for the benefit of patients. The Royal College of Physicians is a founder member of the group.

The online survey takes only 10 minutes to complete.