Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will limit relations between doctors and the makers of drugs and medical devices beginning July 1, according to a Wednesday press release. The new policy will prevent doctors from making appearances at events sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and ban consulting agreements "that carry personal compensation but no real duties," according to the release. The school will also prohibit free pharmaceutical samples unless they are given without the company's name. In addition, doctors will no longer be allowed to receive food or gifts of any kind from the companies.
In light of the economic constraints placed on library budgets due to the financial crisis, Rockefeller University Press has announced that it will not raise the subscription price of its three science journals for the 2010 fiscal year, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The decision comes in response to statements issued by the International Coalition of Library Consortia and the Association of Research Libraries that urge cooperation between publishers and libraries during the downturn, The Chronicle reported. Although the University of Chicago Press, Johns Hopkins University Press and Oxford University Press have not issued final subscription rates, all have expressed an intent to limit price increases as much as possible. Other publishers of humanities and social science journals such as the University of California Press, though unlikely to freeze subscription rates, are also seeking to limit price increases. Science journal subscriptions can cost thousands per year, whereas social-science and humanities journals typically only cost a few hundred dollars.
In an e-mail sent to employees last Thursday, Tufts President Lawrence Bacow said that a proposed unionization of the university's workers would not benefit relations between the administration and its staff, The Boston Globe reported. Bacow called the Tufts Employee Association's efforts to recruit members from the school's 1,200 employees unnecessary, and noted that the union is not recognized by the school. Employees have been circulating a letter urging other staff members to support unionization, according to The Globe. While Tufts administrators have said they believe the addition of a union would present a barrier to communication, employees have argued that unionization will give them greater influence and allow them to better protect their jobs and economic interests. Bacow cited his past research on collective bargaining and his close work with several unions as evidence that his statement did not indicate any personal prejudice against unions, The Globe reported.