Christopher Albenbrack wrote
All right, the MS Society of Canada FINALLY answered one of my questions, and they stated that they only receive 2% funding from the pharmaceutical industry.....to which I replied with a lengthy question......can't wait to hear their answer.

This is the question I asked.


OK....question. When you accept them (the pharmaceutical companies in question) to pay for conferences, etc, does the money go through your books, or do you have them pay the suppliers directly.

For example, I recently attended an awards ceremony in Halifax where I had the chance to shake hands with Yves Savoie. The buffet and the weekend at the hotel were all sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies. There were actually three representatives from different companies that were thanked not once, not twice, but EIGHT times during the ceremony. I was there....I counted them.

So, did the MS Society pay for the buffet and the hotel expenses, and then get reimbursed by the drug companies, or did the drug companies foot the hotel bill and the bill for the buffet dinner to the suppliers of these services?

I know that the mantra of the MS Society is "we only get direct funding of 2% from the drug companies" but I find that suspect.

If your answer is a) the drug companies pay the suppliers directly, then this is misleading.

If your answer is b) we pay the bills, and then are reimbursed, then I would like to know where you report this in your financial statements.

Also, when you offer a free publication such as this one http://mssociety.ca/en/pdf/youandms.pdf, (please consult last page), do you pay the publisher "Lansdowne Communications" directly, or does the company that sponsored it (Novartis) pay them directly.

Referring back to the Awards Ceremony that I attended in Halifax with Crystal Bruce-Sheppard, I find it suspicious that for a simple 2% you have to mention them 8 times. This is only one in hundreds of examples of sponsorship of publications, seminars, conferences, hotel expenses, etc. There is no way that the MS Society could possibly foot the bill for all of these expenses. Therefore, is it not rather dishonest to say that you only receive 2% from the pharmaceutical industry if in fact you are letting them pay sponsorship for so many of the publications, etc.