Soft Targets: Nurses and the Pharmaceutical Industry

Concern about commercial infl uences on health care is prominent in the medical literature, but has remained in the background of nursing education and practice. This review of the nursing literature explores the perspectives of the nursing community regarding pharmaceutical industry. This article presents a range of views, from favourable to highly sceptical. The nursing literature has yet to effectively address the pervasive impact of the pharmaceutical industry on health care. Available evidence indicates that many nurses are uncritically accepting of industry infl uence on their education and practice.