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Article: Conflicts of Interests
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS
A conflict of interest is "a conflict between the private interests and the official responsibilities of a person in a position of trust." A conflict of interest thus arises when a person has to play one set of interests against another. For example, a practicing physician is obligated to work in the best interests of his or her patients. Recommending a new drug in return for financial compensation would represent a conflict of interest. This is especially so when the new drug is not any more effective than existing drugs, or may cost more. The physician is in conflict by virtue of the potential to increase income at the expense of his or her patients.
Even the ...