Psychiatrists scrutinize APA's revenues from drug industry

Concerned about conflicts of interest, the specialty society is pondering a move away from pharmaceutical funding over a five-year period.

By Kevin B. O'Reilly, AMNews staff. Aug. 18, 2008.

The American Psychiatric Assn. has appointed a work group to identify the industry money it receives, what the funds pay for and whether to go without them. The Ad Hoc Workgroup on Adapting to Changes in Pharmaceutical Revenue was appointed last spring and is set to report to the APA's board of trustees in October.

The move comes on the heels of intense news media and congressional scrutiny of potential conflicts of interest posed by drug- and device-makers' support of clinical researchers, medical education programs and practicing physicians.

Pharmaceutical revenue accounted for 28%, or $14 million, of the 38,000-member APA's 2007 budget, according to James H. Scully, MD, the group's medical director and CEO. The revenue comes in the form of journal advertising and grants for continuing medical education and fellowships.

APA President Nada L. Stotland, MD, MPH, said she hopes the work group can help the association get a better handle on exactly what industry money supports and what, if anything, should be cut.

"People tend to have a different feeling about ads in journals than industry-supported symposia or minority fellowships or even the exhibit area, free pens and other things that are made available," Dr. Stotland said. "When people complain and say they want the APA to not accept pharmaceutical revenue, they've not done it head on in the sense that we would have to cut some activity. Nobody wants to say, 'Let's cut something.' "