Psychiatric training program engagement with the pharmaceutical industry: An educational issue, not strictly an ethical one

Objective: To analyze the educational and ethical issues involved in interactions between departments of psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry. Methods: The author analyzes the history of attitudes toward pharmaceutical companies, various conflicting ethical principles that apply, and areas of confluence and conflict of interest between psychiatric education and the drug industry. These attitudes are applied to a variety of specific types of interactions with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. Results: A number of forms of interaction are found to be on balance, ethical, and productive, while others are found to be problematic. Conclusions: Careful analysis of both ethical and educational dimensions can produce meaningful and constructive involvement with the pharmaceutical industry, without inevitably corrupting psychiatric educators.