August 2016
Farmacriticxs Pedro Lara Morales & Emma Pereira Arias
IFMSA - Spain
public.relations@ifmsa-spain.org
Pert Skrabanek and James McCormick made a powerful statement in 1989 regarding the attitude of most medical students1. They declared that they were vaccinated against “skepticism�, a term used to designate the questioning attitude towards unempirical knowledge or opinions and beliefs stated as facts2. As what it seems a way of denying this assertion, the project of Farmacriticxs was developed in 2009 under the premise of advocating for an ethical and non-biased pharmaceutical industry. Since it was first carried out in IFMSA-Spain, it continues to grow and increase its impact on the different Local Committees of our federation. The students involved with this project strive for a more transparent attitude from the pharmaceutical industry, which needs to take into account not only their own profit, but also the basic rights of patients. Certain reviews show that some of the industryreleased research studies are a result of fraudulent manipulation3. Pharmaceutical companies fund the vast majority of the clinical studies on new medicines, resulting in poor practice and in harming the outcome of patients. Moreover, these companies do not invest in the development of treatments that are necessary because of the high morbidity and mortality rates of the illness they seek to cure, but instead focus on the ones that ensure a higher profit for them. In order to put an end to this unethical attitude, students from different medical schools in Spain, with the collaboration of associations such as NoGracias,
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have developed Farmacriticxs. This project aims to raise awareness among institutions, healthcare professionals and students with the goal of making society aware of the issue. Students that are part of this initiative organize conferences and meetings a couple times a year, while keeping in touch by using social media and email threads. By these means, they promote debate on this topic in their Local Committees, so medical students in Spain can become aware of the issue. The project was able to make IFMSA-Spain change its model of financing. Now our federation includes an agenda for the debate on this topic in all its national assemblies. Furthermore, Farmacriticxs collaborated with five different Spanish associations and medical newspapers that also support the message Farmacriticxs aims to convey. Together, students work towards improving transparency in the way research studies are conducted and financed, allowing open access to medicines to everyone who needs them and promoting a fair relationship between health professionals and pharmaceutical companies. References 1. Skrabanek P, James McCormick J. Follies and Fallacies in Medicine. Third Edition. Eastbourne (UK): Tarragon Press; 1998. p.68. ISBN 1-87078109-0 2. Merriam-Webster online dictionary (www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/sceptic) 3. Strategies and Practices in Off-Label Marketing of Pharmaceuticals: A Retrospective Analysis of Whistleblower Complaints. Kesselheim AS, Mello MM, Studdert DM (2011) Strategies and Practices in Off-Label Marketing of Pharmaceuticals: A Retrospective Analysis of Whistleblower Complaints. PLoS Med 8(4): e1000431. doi: 10.1371/journal. pmed.1000431