Conflict of interest between physicians and pharmaceutical companies raises questions about the ethics surrounding these relationships.

It’s the financial relationship that raises questions about the influence of drug companies on prescribing patterns or research results of doctors.

Nationwide, pharmaceutical manufacturers routinely pay medical professionals to assess a new product or to help contribute to the drug company’s sales. The companies fly medical professionals to seminars and conferences and may also pay speaking fees. State-employed doctors and researchers are generally no exception, though they are supposed to comply with their individual institutions’ conflict-of-interest policies.