The Facts about Medicare "Wider Choices in Drug Benefits"

The Facts about Medicare “Wider Choices in Drug Benefits" Thu, June 16, 2005 The New York Times reports: “The expansion of Medicare to cover prescription drugs is President Bush’s most significant achievement in domestic policy. He plans to emphasize it at two events this week, on Thursday in Washington and…

Pfizer Fires a Vice President Who Criticized Company’s Sales Practices

Pfizer Fires a Vice President Who Criticized Company’s Sales Practices Fri, 2 Dec 2005 Word of the day: “The Department of Justice simply does not have enough lawyers and investigators to handle the volume of false claims act suits coming its way. There are right now 150 cases under seal…

Grassley Calls for Safety Review /Unsafe Drugs Marketed to Consumers / FDA Lacks Leadership

Grassley Calls for Safety Review /Unsafe Drugs Marketed to Consumers / FDA Lacks Leadership Sun, 19 Dec 2004 “We expect the FDA to not put a drug on the market that’s not safe. And you can’t compromise safety, regardless of how much pressure there is to get more drugs on…

Penn Psychiatrist Files Whistleblower Lawsuit – Investigtion Confirms Medicare Chief Lied

Philadelphia Daily News Pharma Influence: Penn Psychiatrist Files Whistleblower Lawsuit – Investigtion Confirms Medicare Chief Lied to Congress Wed, 7 Jul 2004 “Drug companies not only write checks to hospitals, they write checks to politicians…They write checks to both sides of the aisle.” Two separate news reports provide a glimpse…

TIME inquiry finds top officials at vital gov agencies lack credentials for the job

TIME inquiry finds top officials at vital gov agencies lack credentials for the job Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 The New York Times reports today that the mystery of Lester Crawford’s abrupt resignation as head of the FDA “fueled speculation that he had investments in companies regulated by the FDA."…

Just Say No – Forbes

Just Say No – Forbes Tue, 16 Nov 2004 When Mrs. Nancy Reagan coined the phrase, Just Say No, she was referring to illicit drug pushers. The current Forbes cover story–Just Say No–refers to the prescription drug industry. "In a perverse kind of symbiosis, the cascade of disease and medical…

Medicare Will cover New Treatments But Patients Will be Required to Enroll in Clinical Trials

Medicare Will cover New Treatments But Patients Will be Required to Enroll in Clinical Trials Fri, 5 Nov 2004 Dr. Mark McClellan, Director of Medicare, estimates that of Medicare’s $320 billion budget, “a third of all medical expenditures are for unnecessary or ill-advised treatments.” Medicare’s chief medical officer, Dr. Sean…

Featured News

AHRP Speaks Out AHRP Press Briefing 9/14/04: Antidepressants & suicide-related risks for children Open Letter to NIMH re Prozac & Concealed Suicide Attempts Open Letter to Officials at NIMH AHRP Briefing 2/2/04: Scientists present suicide evidence Conflicts of Interest policy – New York Times Phase I Drug Trials Used Foster…

Paxil induced suicides in US quantified_Glaxo Faces criminal action in UK over "suicide" pills_Times

Paxil induced suicides in US quantified_Glaxo Faces criminal action in UK over “suicide” pills_Times Mon, 7 Jun Law enforcement is finally catching up with drug companies who, for years, concealed evidence of a drug-related suicide risk for some children and adults who take an antidepressant. The law requires the companies…

Science Refutes Claims of Drug Benefit: Antipsychotics Found Harmful_NEJM

"The drugs most commonly used to soothe agitation and aggression in people with Alzheimer’s disease are no more effective than placebos for most patients, and put them at risk of serious side effects, including confusion, sleepiness and Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms, researchers are reporting
today."