In what appears to be a re-run of the Katrina rescue disaster–The New York Times front page report provides yet another example of mindless and heartless shot gun public polices that are being tested on a vulnerable population of citizens:
Fortune Magazine confirms our report (October) that "The prospect of a bird flu outbreak may be panicking people around the globe, but it’s proving to be very good news for Defense Secretary."
Two items in today’s New York Times illustrate the contrast between what the Administration claims it’s legislative / regulatory proposals will do for health care, and what they actually do after they’ve taken effect.
Big Pharma by Jacky Law reveals that in essence, most of the pharmaceutical industry’s claims are false; it is not the drug, but the placebo effect whose potency deserves almost all of the credit for any health improvement:
FDA political appointees have embarked on a plan to divest the American consumer of the right to seek compensation for defective prescription drugs.
Internal e-mail exhorts university staff to lobby Congress for increased funds to increase number of children declared mentally ill.
The Senate Finance committee is cracking down on drug industry "educational grants" to physicians, medical associations and "patient advocacy" groups.
FDA is speeding the testing of unknown, potentially toxic products in humans (Phase I trials) without adequate pre-human tests.
A Brandeis University study reviewed clinical practice (doctor office visits) and found that drug prescriptions for the treatment of depression, anxiety and mood or attention disorders in teenagers (14 to 18) increased by 250% between 1994-2001.
In this era of commercially-driven medical research—whether conducted by industry or academia—it behooves journal editors—no matter how prestigious the authors submitting articles for publication—to at least follow Ronald Reagan’s dictum, “trust but verify.”
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday issued new guidelines that make it easier for scientists working in universities and small companies to test promising therapies in humans without matching the hefty spending of large drug companies.
Authors of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Task Force on SSRIs and Suicidal Behavior in Youth: their known ties to the pharmaceutical industry
