Activities report
Experts group meeting
On February 22, 2003, the Forum for Medical Ethics Society (FMES) organised the first experts group meeting in the YMCA, Mumbai Central, on a study that it has undertaken on pharmaceutical promotion practices. This study, funded by the World Health Organization through the Drugs Controller General of India, is for a period of six months. It will use qualitative research methods to identify promotional practices meant to influence the prescription, supply, purchase and/or use of medicinal drugs. A group of expert resource people representing industry, voluntary organisations, chemists’ organisations, medical representatives, the WHO, pharmacologists and researchers discussed the study in detail and gave valuable suggestions on modifications. With this study, FMES has branched out into a new activity—research on ethical issues of importance in our society.
National editorial board meeting
On February 22 and 23, 2003, the FMES held the first meeting of its national editorial board which includes Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune and Wardha. Those who were unable to make it were sorely missed as a host of important issues were discussed. Besides being an opportunity for many FMES members in Mumbai to meet after a long time, the meeting was also the first opportunity for the group to meet the new editor and assistant editor in person. Among the topics discussed were our current efforts to grow as an organisation both by expanding our subscriber base and by taking on new activities. A status report was given on the legal cases filed by FMES on the Maharahstra Medical Council elections and future plans for this activity were discussed. FMES is also involved in a campaign against communalism among medical professionals. Various efforts to obtain funding were reported, and a discussion was held on whether funding could influence the journal’s editorial content. A brief account was given of the journal’s subscription trends. It was felt that the journal must reach medical colleges and mainstream medical professionals. Plans were announced to publish an anthology of the last 10 years of the journal. The new-look journal was also discussed, and plans to restructure work for the journal so as to distribute responsibility. Starting with the April 2003 issue, we have taken the help of the Delhi-based editorial consultants Byword for the journal’s production. The meeting concluded with an assessment of the January issue and a discussion of articles in future issues.
