Recently I mentioned about the practice of Elsevier receiving payment from Merck for publishing favourable 'peer reviewed' journals in Australia. It seems that this is not the only thing they have been doing ... here. Remember, doctors often make decisions regarding the treatment you receive or the appropriate type of drug you should take on the basis of articles, journals, and books published. This information is supposed to be clinical research that has been tested and proven. Often, a specific drug or treatment is found to be hazardous due to certain side effects of taking it - this can be on its own or in combination with other drugs, or the degree of risk is high. If a particular book or article is bumped up a list or reviewed for financial gain, this can distort the view or prominence over more valid published and peer reviewed research.
Trust me, I am a big medical publisher. Sorry Elsevier, your credibility and integrity is clearly questionable when this sort of thing happens once and significantly in doubt when this sort of thing happens repeatedly. Are you taking remedial action to ensure the customer (the person who receives the drug or treatment) is getting what is best for them? If not then there is bound to be (given the litigious nature of the States) a law suit or class action lining up for you. That would affect the share price would it not?
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