New rules on conflicts proposed at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Major changes to conflict-of-interest rules have been recommended by a task force of doctors and health professionals at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to banning doctors from giving promotional talks for drug companies, the group said, doctors should be required to disclose specific amounts of money they receive from drug and medical device firms. The task force acknowledged that financial relationships with industry companies can undermine patient trust and threaten the integrity of the medical profession.