Published: Sep 15, 2013

By John Fauber, Reporter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MedPage Today

When the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed guidelines recommending expensive prescription drugs to treat childhood acne, it didn’t tell doctors this: 13 of the 15 experts who drafted the guidelines were paid consultants or speakers for companies that market the drugs recommended in the guidelines.

Or this: The organization that developed the guidelines — paid the academy to publish them — received 98% of its 2011 revenue from companies that make acne drugs.

The guidelines recommend prescription drugs that cost as much as $1,700 for a year’s treatment. By contrast, benzoyl peroxide, an effective over-the-counter product that is a primary component in some of the prescription drugs, costs less than $80 a year.

Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/41618