To nice@nice.nhs.uk
25 October 2003

Dear Sir

As a doctor I have recently received information from Lilly about the use of olanzapine in acute mania with a rosette on the front labelled "NICE recommended" (see Lilly award themselves a NICE recommendation). As you know, the World Health Organisation has advised that pharmaceutical physicians should not be members of committees that make judgements on particular drugs.

I would have thought that one potential advantage of the stakeholder system is that NICE could set standards for stakeholders in company advertising. It could at least threaten to withdraw stakeholder status to any company using its name to support company advertising.

I would be interested to hear your comments on this proposal and look forward to your response.

DB Double
Consultant Psychiatrist
Norfolk Mental Health Care NHS Trust