"Sponsored Editorials?"

The blog Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look just noticed a new pheonomenon, the "sponsored editorial." Apparently, these have appeared in the July and November issues of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry's paper edition (although not on the web). A jpeg reproduction appears in this Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry post.

The "sponsored editorial" itself features clinical bullet points on akasthisia, and two pull quotes, in a large type face, from suffering patients. On the bottom appears the AstraZeneca logo. No authors are listed.

I want to second Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry's blogger's motion that by printing this as an editorial, albeit "sponsored," the journal appears to be endorsing a marketing message as if it were substantive content. This appears to be the latest addition to our catalog of deceptive marketing practices, and the latest story about how medical and health care journals seem to be supporting the vested interests of their commercial sponsors at the expense of their independence. Misleading physicians by disguising advertising, in this case, as editorial content in a peer-reviewed journal, is liable to distort their medical decision making, and hence is bad for both them and their patients.