"Hundreds of articles in medical journals claiming to be written by academics or doctors have been penned by ghostwriters in the pay of drug companies, an Observer inquiry reveals.

While doctors who have put their names to the papers can be paid handsomely for 'lending' their reputations, the ghostwriters remain hidden. They, and the involvement of the pharmaceutical firms, are rarely revealed.

We are being hoodwinked by the drug companies. The articles come in with doctors' names on them and we often find some of them have little or no idea about what they have written,' he said."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2003/dec/07/health.businessofresearch?INTCM...

EDIT: This message is a followup to why I question the studies and opinions in the Medical Community. I also heard this same information concerning Medical Studies and the manipulation of data, by a scientist on NPR radio although I cannot find the story. It wasn't that the data was forged. If the study was not producing a favorable outcome, the criteria and parameters of the study would be manipulated in order to achieve a positive outcome for the sponsor. The Scientist stated over 33% of scientific studies were manipulated in this way.