An ethical committee for general practice in the west for Scotland: proposals received in the first year

The particular ethical problems of research in general practice and pressure from local general practitioners and hospital ethical committees led to the development of an ethical committee for general practice in the west of Scotland. The workload of this ethical committee in its first year of existence is described.Despite the fact that many of the studies considered by the committee were sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and were often sophisticated, the ethical issues of a general practice setting had not always been fully appreciated. Of the 21 study proposals submitted over the year 13 showed areas of ethical uncertainty. However, all the studies were eventually approved. Most of the problems encountered were easily overcome and might have been avoided if the general practitioners undertaking the research had been able to seek advice from those with experience of research in general practice and in particular of the ethical issues involved. Local ethical committees for general practice, made up largely of general practitioners but with at least one lay member, might provide one such source of advice.