My apologies for the prolonged absence. I have been busy preparing for the Association of Clinical Research Professionals clinical research coordinator certification exam coming up this Saturday(http://www.acrpnet.org/MainMenuCategory/Certification/GetCertified/CRCCertification.aspx).
I did want to take a minute to point out an interesting discussion of The New York Times Well blog about the media's role in promoting a new drug. It is a discussion about the HPV vaccine Gardasil, and the large media buzz that in effect promoted the drug when it was first made available to the public. Long-term efficacy data is still emerging about the vaccine causing some to wonder if the maker over-hyped its benefits. But a watchdog group is saying that media coverage when the vaccine was released contributed to the hype.
The report raises interesting questions about the role of media in reporting medical research. Are the media there to repeat what the pharmaceutical companies say about the product or should reporters and editors be doing more to present the meat of the research rather than the promised results?
You can find the Well blog here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/blaming-the-media-for-gardasil-hype/
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