Declaration of interest/affiliation

The Editorial Executive Committee welcomes letters, which should be less than 250 words. Before a decision to publish is made, letters which refer to a published article may be sent to the author for a response. Any letter may be sent to an expert for comment. When letters are published, they are usually accompanied in the same issue by their responses or comments. The Committee screens out discourteous, inaccurate or libellous statements. The letters are sub-edited before publication. Authors are required to declare any conflicts of interest. The Committee's decision on publication is final.

Editor, – Many letter writers declare their affiliations. Sometimes their significance is obscure to me. For example, what sort of a body is 'Medicines Australia' (Aust Prescr 2003;26:51)? It sounds official and important but the title is suspiciously trendy, like Cricket Australia rather than the Australian Cricket Board. It has a whiff of spin doctoring and public relations about it. Is it an industry lobby group perhaps, or maybe the antipodean arm of Médecins Sans Frontières? We need to know if we are to judge the communication.

G. Wise
Staff specialist
Neurology
Sydney Children's Hospital
Randwick, NSW

Medicines Australia is the new name for the Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. Its mission statement is 'to create a favourable environment for the profitable growth of the prescription pharmaceutical industry in a socially responsible manner for the benefit of the Australian community'.