Our world is changing…
Recent months have been eventful and we have seen a plethora of changes in the field of medical publications and the wider pharmaceutical industry. The year 2013 saw increasingly vocal calls for increased transparency with respect to medical research, including the high profile AllTrials and RIAT campaigns. We applauded when GSK subsequently became the first of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies to commit to full disclosure of its clinical trial results. The Physician Payment Sunshine Act also featured prominently, with ‘to report or not to report (and how to report)?’ being the question on many lips. Many of us were pleased to see the new ICMJE recommendations with a focus on author accountability, and the JAMA announcement that industry-sponsored research would be considered without the requirement for independent academic statistical analyses. Yet change comes in many forms, and at the other end of the spectrum we were disappointed to read about the pharmaceutical bribery scandals in China and the fresh concerns raised about the peer-review process through the Science Open Access ‘sting’.
As events, both positive and negative, have unfolded, the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) membership has welcomed the ongoing updates and educational initiatives provided. However, it has become clear that there are still many changes ahead and numerous questions yet to be answered: ‘will other countries mandate physician payment reporting and will medical writing support be part of this?’, ‘how will the relationship between medical societies and the pharmaceutical industry evolve?’ and ‘how will digital innovations change the world of medical publications?’ are but a few examples of the questions our members still have. Things are changing at a fast pace and there is much more for ISMPP to do to help our membership stay abreast and navigate these evolving and sometimes unpredictable times.
What remains constant
As the world around us changes, there are some things that do and should remain constant. There will always be the need for high quality, accurate, clinically relevant and timely publications, and for credible and ethical publication professionals to make this happen. As such, ISMPP will continue to strive for the highest standards in our field and, as always, we will endeavor to support our membership in the best way possible. The appointment of our first full-time President and Chief Operations Officer, Al Weigel, is a major step forward. With Al’s support, we will continue to invest in education and guidance of the highest quality to support our membership. Watch for GPP3, increasing numbers of ISMPP Certified Medical Publication Professionals (CMPP™), more ISMPP-U topics, and further regional educational programs in Asia Pacific, and hopefully beyond, to name but a few initiatives.
Alongside our own efforts, our commitment to collaborate with other like-minded organizations and individuals remains strong. As we move into our tenth year, we will continue to reach out to the broader medical research community to help us set standards, embrace change and raise the bar even further.
We invite you to help us achieve these goals.
Alice Choi PhD, ISMPP CMPP™
Chair, ISMPP Board of Trustees (2014–2015)
Global Head
Complete Medical Communications