- © 2007 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
[CMAJ responds:]
We agree with the point made by a number of our readers that this advertisement is completely inappropriate and does not belong in the pages of CMAJ. Indeed, we were shocked to see this advertisement in our Oct. 9, 2007, issue and immediately notified our publisher. The director of publishing promptly told the pharmaceutical company that we would no longer be accepting this advertisement. The Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board (PAAB) and the advertising firm that purchased this ad were also notified of our concern.
It is important for readers to understand that the editorial team does not review specific advertisements before they appear in print, so that advertising does not influence editorial decisions. We do, however, assist with the development of advertising policies, largely related to the placement and amount of advertising in CMAJ. In this regard, we are fully supportive of the added steps taken by the publisher to ensure that advertising meets with CMAJ's public health mission, as well as being suitable for our readership.