1. Cost/Efficacy–Is the response to treatment worth the cost. At most meetings cost is never mentioned when discussing results. This in an era of $100,000 medications and health cost inflation.
2. Value–Presentations at meetings are geared to show off new medications. At time the educational programs will objectively review the field and make unbiased suggestions but for the most part the programs are funded by the industry and the speakers are on the payroll. As a result evaluations of alternative treatment and of course considerations of cost/efficacy are rarely heard.
2. Patent reform–Meetings are for the most part sponsored by drug companies (patent holders), enough said.
3. Conflicts of interest–It’s not unusual to have speakers touting results of studies who are on the payroll of the drug company that makes the product being tested. Disclosure is not enough!
Medicynic 