COMPETING INTERESTS POLICY

International Journal of Pharmacy and Allied Fields (IJPAF) has adopted certain measures to eliminate competing interests and is committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in the publication process. All researchers, authors, reviewers, and editors involved in the submission, review, and publication of manuscripts are required to disclose any actual or potential competing interests that could inappropriately influence or be perceived to influence the work submitted for publication.

A competing interest may be financial, such as employment, funding, grants, stocks or shares, paid consultancy, honoraria, royalties, patents or personal fees. It may also be non financial, including personal relationships, academic rivalry, or intellectual beliefs that could affect objectivity. Authors must include a statement in their manuscript disclosing any conflicts of interest related to the research, authorship, or publication of the article including ties to pharmaceutical companies, funding sources, consultancies, advisory roles, speaking engagements, stock ownership, intellectual property, or travel funding. If no competing interests exist, authors should explicitly state: “The authors declare no competing interests.”

Reviewers must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may affect their impartiality and should decline to review a manuscript if such conflicts exist. Editors handling manuscripts must withdraw from decision making processes if they have any conflicts of interest with the authors or the content of the submission.

All disclosures will be evaluated by the editorial board to ensure transparency. If a competing interest is discovered after publication, IJPAF reserves the right to take appropriate action, including issuing a correction or retraction of the article, if necessary. Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in the rejection or withdrawal of the manuscript.

A completed Conflict of Interest Disclosure form, signed by all contributing authors and indicating any existing or potential conflicts, must be submitted in scanned form during manuscript submission. This form is based on ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) Disclosure form