Conflict of Interests - none
The influence results in an invalid medical literature piece. For example, clinical trials are commercial, and sponsored by pharma companies, who control all aspects of thier trial. After completion of the trial, ghostwriters create the trial, which is followed by the sponsor hiring an author for the trial that had no involvement in the trial. To get the trial published, a journal will agree to do so after agreeing to have the sponsor purchase thousands of reprints of the trial, along with buying advertisements for the accepting journal. Most troubling is that the results of such a trial are altered to favor the sponsor. Autonomy allows this to occur, and this process, in effect, harms patient treatment. Such sponsors are ethically vacant and apathetic with thier deception created with intent. Science atrophies due to this.
Conflict of Interests - Ex big pharma sales rep is the author of this piece free of embellishments.