STOP the Mental Health-Child Psychiatry Industry From Diverting Public Funds
Internal e-mail exhorts university staff to lobby Congress for increased funds to increase number of children declared mentally ill.
S. Finance Committee Investigates Drug Makers Over Medical Education Grants_NYT
The Senate Finance committee is cracking down on drug industry "educational grants" to physicians, medical associations and "patient advocacy" groups.
J & J Failed to Disclose Deaths in Heart Trial
"When you’re talking deaths in clinical trials, mistakes are not an option," said Dr. Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at the University of Pennsylvania. "It’s just an area where we have to have absolute, foolproof reporting in place."
Study found: older patients risk death on BOTH old and new Antipsychotics
Study found: older patients risk death on BOTH old and new Antipsychotics Thu, 01 Dec 2005 Elderly patients prescribed antipsychotics–old neuroleptics (such as Haldol) or the new antipsychotics (such as Zyprexa or Risperdal)–were at increased risk of death. The risk for the older drugs is estimated to be 17.9% and…
States Protest Contributions to Drug Plan – New York Times
States Protest Contributions to Drug Plan – New York Times Tue, 18 Oct 2005 The New York Times reports: “On Monday, the administration unveiled a new online tool to help Medicare beneficiaries choose a prescription plan from the dozens of plans available in each state. But some of the information…
Medical Costs: "It’s a broken system. And at some point, it will fall apart" – COI – NYT
Medical Costs: “It’s a broken system. And at some point, it will fall apart" – Conflicts of Interest – NYT Thu, 22 Sep 2005 Medical device manufacturers have taken a leaf from pharmaceutical companies–they too bribe doctors to use their products. The New York Times repors about one such case…
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Orgs & NCQA
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Orgs & NCQA Fri, 9 Sep 2005 After much hand wringing following public disclosrure that the current IRB (institutional review board) research review and approval process is so inadequate and unreliable, the (then) outgoing Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala, acknowledged in…
TeenScreen: the Law Suits Begin
TeenScreen: the Law Suits Begin Mon, 13 Jun 2005 Newsworthy developments about the duo-drug promotion scam‹TeenScreen & TMAP: A. The first legal challenge against TeenScreen, the mental health screening scheme that is invading the public school system across the nation, declaring otherwise normal children to be mentally ill, has been…
Grassley Pushes FDA: Transparency, Accountability & Independence / Whistleblowers are essential Witnesses
Grassley Pushes FDA: Transparency, Accountability & Independence / Whistleblowers are essential Witnesses Wed, 8 Jun 2005 The FDA has once again demonstrated bad faith when it appointed an industry biased panel to monitor drug safety. The Washington Post reports that FDA safety officer Dr. David Graham, who blew the whistle…
Minnesota Attorney General Supports Widow in Zoloft Suicide Case
Minnesota Attorney General Supports Widow in Zoloft Suicide Case Tue, 22 Mar 2005 A press release from the law firm, Baum Hedlund announces that Minnesota’s State Attorney General filed a legal brief refuting Pfizer’s claim that “it should be immune from liability for failing to warn about dangerous side effects…
Public Ranks Drug Industry at Bottom With Oil, HMOs, Tobacco – Harris Poll
Public Ranks Drug Industry at Bottom With Oil, HMOs, Tobacco – Harris Poll Thu, 8 Jul 2004 The New York Times reports: “No industry has fallen as far or as fast in public esteem in recent years as the pharmaceutical industry, according to the Harris Poll.” The American public is…
Conflict of Interest
Conflict of Interest: Profits vs Safety Congressional Investigations US Senators Pharmaceutical industry holdings, 2004: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/SenPharma.pdf Oct 12: How Did the Vioxx Debacle Happen? USA Today / Lancet Oct 4: Op Ed: Psychiatry on the Ropes–WP / Evidence-based Psychiatry Oct 3: BBC PANORAMA TONIGHT – Taken on Trust – 13 years-Medical…