Articles on Conflicts of interest

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with the Aga Khan on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in May 2016. A few months later, he vacationed on the Aga Khan’s island in the Bahamas and was found to have violated conflict-of-interest laws. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

As a federal election campaign looms, Canadians must demand stronger ethics laws from politicians

If trust in government matters to Canadians, then ethics issues must be kept in public view and political parties pressured to offer meaningful reform ideas in their campaign and party platforms.
Then-President Donald Trump standing underneath a portrait of Andrew Jackson in November 2017. Oliver Contreras-Pool/Getty Images)

Donald Trump wants to reinstate a spoils system in federal government by hiring political loyalists regardless of competence

if political loyalty replaces merit as the basis of key federal appointments, Americans can expect government to be less competent – as Andrew Jackson learned during his administration
A new review of 372 patient group submissions to the Canadian Agency for Drugs or Technology in Health – about whether new medicines should be covered by public plans – reveals a total of 1896 conflicts of interest. (Shutterstock)

How Big Pharma donations may influence public drug coverage

A new study reveals how many patient groups lobby for new drugs to be funded by public plans in Canada – all while receiving funding from the companies manufacturing the drugs in question.
Infant formula manufacturers have been funding the development of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of cows’ milk allergy in infants. from shutterstock.com

Infant formula companies are behind the guidelines on milk allergy, and their sales are soaring

New research shows a six-fold increase in sales of infant formula prescribed for babies with cows’ milk protein allergy in the UK, despite no evidence of an increase in the incidence of the allergy.
Donald Trump flanked by two of his children, Ivanka and Donald Jr. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Sultan Donald Trump?

A political scientist looks at the similarities between the new American president and the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. What might the parallels portend for US politics?
There appears to be a lack of transparency about the poor success rates of IVF. from www.shutterstock.com.au

Don’t dismiss conflict‑of‑interest concerns in IVF, they have a basis

Assisted reproductive technology is a highly profitable global industry, with fertility clinics increasingly being regarded as an attractive investment option.
Conflicting recommendations about flu drugs has made it difficult for doctors to decide whether to prescribe them. Andrew Wales/Flickr

What kind of research can we trust?

Research involving pharmaceutical company input is notoriously compromised. While not all industry ties lead to biased research, and not all biases are a consequence of industry ties, many studies show…
Direct lobbying is one of several tactics food companies use to shape regulation and public perception in their favour. Image from shutterstock.com

Big Food lobbying: tip of the iceberg exposed

The influence of the food lobby has come into the public spotlight over the past week, with revelations that Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash’s chief-of-staff, Alastair Furnival, has strong links to…
Assistant Minister for Health Fiona Nash’s chief of staff has had to resign because of conflicts of interest. Alan Porritt/AAP

Should the food industry resign from the health department too?

Furore over links between Assistant Minister for Health Fiona Nash’s office and industry continues today with revelations that her former chief of staff is connected to the alcohol, as well as the food…

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