Correspondence
Who will guard the guards? Medical leadership and conflict of interest in South African healthcare
Abstract
Conflicts of interest (COI) arising from the interaction of the pharmaceutical industry with doctors have been described in an SAMJ editorial. A number of important measures to deal with COI are described in the editorial, including disclosure of COI, creating awareness of the problem, academic discussions and fostering professionalism by practitioners. A further measure that should be included to complement the above is the use of clinical protocols (standardised care guidelines), which reduce conflicts of interest and facilitate the documentation of a body of experience on which to base patient care in the future.
Author's affiliations
Raymond Pierre Abratt, Head of Clinical Governance, Independent Clinical Oncology Network, and Professor Emeritus, University of Cape Town, South Africa
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Date published: 2016-01-11
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