1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"Sanctioned doctors hired as pitchmen" by Julia Hunter.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Dec. 5, 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Three doctors in our local coverage area had been hired as spokesmen for national pharmaceutical companies despite previous black marks on their records. The doctors and their employers seemed unconcerned, asserting this wasn't an issue, even though one of the doctors was accused of fondling himself in front of a patient. Drug companies tout that they hire the best of the best, but these findings, show this is a questionable statement.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I used ProPublica's database of sanctioned doctors, the New York State Department of Health's Professional Misconduct and Physician Discipline database, and the New York State Physician Profile website. I also checked similar websites in other states, like Florida and Pennsylvania, for doctors who were or had been licensed there. I also did research of the FDA website.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
I attempted to contact all three doctors mentioned in the story, and successfully interviewed two of them. I spoke with two of the doctors' supervisors, spokesmen from Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline and a bioethics research expert.
6. Results (if any).
A strong response from the community.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Make every effort — call home, office, supervisors, show up at the office, home, etc. — to contact the doctors you write about. It's important they get a say in such stories but can be very difficult to contact.