According to the lead story in Trouw, nearly 70% of doctors responsible for establishing medical guidelines in the Netherlands have financial links to the pharmaceutical industry. In a report published on the 26th of October, the Health Care Inspectorate indicated that 43 members of a sample group of 62 doctors and scientists, who participate in the definition of medical protocols, received payment or some kind of compensation from pharmaceutical companies. These professionals were paid to do research, give advice, intervene during conferences or take part in symposiums and training courses financed by the industry. "The pharmaceutical industry has a major commercial interest in influencing medical guidelines", explains the Amsterdam-based daily, "General practitioners and specialists often refer to these protocols to treat their patients". The Inspectorate is calling for "complete transparency" by 2010.
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Europe’s economic woes have forced us to try to understand the secret Olympian world of global finance. But now that we pay more attention to bond yields and stability mechanisms, isn’t it clear that the experts up on their lofty peaks don’t know what’s going on either? 
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