Elsevier, a publisher of scientific, technical, and medical information, has issued a public apology after it became apparent that the Australian offices published several sham journals on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.
The Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine was apparently peer-reviewed but is unavailable via MEDLINE and does not appear to have a website. The publication appears to have been sponsored by Merck and was used as a marketing tool for drugs such as Fosamax® and Vioxx®.
Elsevier are currently conducting an internal review and have reviewed current practices to ensure this does not happen again. It is currently believed that this is an isolated incident.
Action: Clinicians should ensure that changes in practice are supported by best evidence published in trusted sources such as NICE, Cochrane and the National Prescribing Centre.