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Study: Medical care must trump research

LONDON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Britain's Royal Colleges of Physicians is warning medical researchers to place public interests before commercial decisions.

The Royal Colleges' Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine says physicians employed by pharmaceutical companies must always put the best interests of patients before their medical research, even if it brings them into conflict with their employers.

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The Ethical Issues Committee of the Faculty has also endorsed the registration of all clinical trials before studies are initiated and has called for all results to be reported.

"Sometimes doctors working in clinical research find themselves facing difficult ethical dilemmas, especially if the company they work for decides not to publish negative research findings" said Committee Member Dr. Ken Paterson of Glasgow's Royal Infirmary in Scotland. "These situations place a heavy burden on individuals and our practical advice aims to give them external backing when they need to take a stand."

The paper suggests publication of any research results should be agreed between the sponsor and the researcher before the clinical trial starts.

The full report appears in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

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