By Dr. Richard H.C. van der Jagt

Readers may get the wrong impression from this article, which claims that doctors are "making thousands" for recruiting patients to medical research trials.

I am a clinical medical researcher involved in numerous studies that allows me to recruit patients for studies of new drugs that would otherwise be unavailable to the patient. Many of these new drugs can be lifesaving, as they are for patients not responding to standard treatments. Without these studies, the patient would also have to pay from his or her own pocket the expense of other treatments. The studies are for their well-being and for the benefit of future patients. Only through medical research can improvements be made in the treatment of patients.

The articles are correct in saying that these studies pay a per-patient fee. However, of that fee, 25 per cent is immediately paid to the research institution for overhead costs. There is a $2,000 cost to process the study protocol through the Research Ethics Board, and then the real costs start. All tests (lab, X-ray, etc.) required in the protocol are charged to the study. Any funds remaining are used to pay for qualified personnel who manage and co-ordinate the studies, assist in recruitment of patients, assist in monitoring the patients and maintain study record files.

I have been doing drug company sponsored research for 17 years and the funds budgeted are scarcely adequate to pay for the tremendous amount of time and effort required to complete these studies. I have never seen a pharmaceutical firm offer to pay a physician "thousands" of dollars per patient for his or her effort. I have personally not pocketed money from a drug company by participating in a study, despite spending almost half of my time involved in research. In fact, by being involved in this research, I willingly compromise income for the opportunity to be involved in cutting-edge studies for the benefit of my patients and others.

Canada already lags behind other countries in the speed with which new drugs come to market. Articles that give a negative portrayal will only slow recruitments and the pace of research even more. This will ultimately harm public health.

Richard H.C. van der Jagt
Ottawa Associate professor of medicine, University of Ottawa, Chair, Canadian Leukemia Studies Group, The Ottawa Hospital

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