FDA Issues Public Health Advisory Entitled Reports Of Suicidality in Pediatric Mon, 27 Oct 2003 The FDA issued a warning about the suicide risk for children prescribed an antidepressant of the SSRI class. These drugs have never been shown to be more effective than placebo for the treatment of depression–which…
4 compelling reasons against Mental Health Parity Fri, 12 Sep 2003 Compelling reasons NOT to approve insurance parity for mental health services come from the following recent reports suggesting that mental health services and treatments have often done more damage than good. Until psychiatry and mental health service providers develop…
Chief of VA Research Departs amidst allegations of misconduct, financial indiscretion – BNA Sat, 13 Dec 2003 The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) reports that Dr. Nelda Wray, chief of research at the Veterans Affairs, “leaves office as the VA Inspector General prepares to release results of an investigation into…
Connecticut Dept of Children & Families Bans Paxil Tue, 26 Aug 2003 The New Haven Register reports that the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the first state agency to ban the use of Paxil in children to protect from harm. Public disclosure of evidence demonstrating Paxil’s suicide…
Almost 1/2 of faculty on IRBs have ties to industry – Harvard Partners Fri, 15 Aug 2003 A survey by faculty at the Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School found that “Consulting relationships with industry are common among faculty IRB members….Our previous research with…
OHRP Found NHLBI Lung Experiments Violated Informed Consent Mon, 7 Jul 2003 On July 3 the federal Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) issued a stinging indictment of the research review and approval process at some of the nation’s most prestigious research institutions–including the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute…
Experiment infects AIDS patients in China with malaria Mon, 17 Feb 2003 The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that two prominent AIDS researchers at UCLA are being investigted for “taking part in a controversial medical experiment with Cincinnati physician Henry Heimlich to infect AIDS patients in China with malaria.” The experiments purportedly…
Duke Survey Clinical trials: Research Conflicts of Interest Violate ethical Guidelines_UPI Sun, 27 Oct 2002 A major Duke University survey of 108 U.S. medical schools reveals that medical institutions fail utterly to meet international standards aimed at ensuring the integrity of clinical research and the safety of the subjects. Conflicts…
July 23, 2002 Unhealthy Hospitals – 103,000 preventable deaths in 2000 – Chicago Tribune FYI The next time someone suggests that you to enter a clinical trial at a hospital, beware: “The number of people needlessly killed by hospital infections is unbelievable, but the public doesn’t know anything about it….
August 20, 2001 A landmark decision by Maryland’s highest court, the Court of Appeals of Maryland, is a victory for the human rights of children. The decision affirms the responsibility of parents, the government, researchers and institutional review boards (IRB) to protect children from non-therapeutic experiments that may put their health…
Presidential Panel: Mental Health System Dysfunctional Sun, 3 Nov 2002 A panel of policy experts, convened by President Bush has issued a scathing “indictment” of the nation’s mental health care system. The Commission chair, Dr. Michael Hogan, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health, stated: “We have trapped people…
VA administrators attempt to scuttle legislation to protect patients Wed, 30 Apr 2003 The Alliance for Human Research Protection received the following confidential Veterans Affairs communication describing efforts by VA administrators to scuttle a congressional bill whose aim is to ensure that research conducted at VA facilities is overseen by…
