Drug Companies Slipping Researchers Secret Cash

[babylonsister]

The system designed to keep corporate cash from secretly slipping into the hands of doctors who do highly influential medical research isn't working very well.

Even at the nation's top institutions - such as Harvard - and affecting the most vulnerable populations - children with psychiatric problems.

A front-page story in Sunday's New York Times reports that a Congressional probe found some top child psychiatrists earning more than $1 million in often undisclosed consulting fees from drug firms.

What's most troubling about the investigation is that the these individual doctors and their public advocacy for certain drugs for mentally ill children "has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children."

more...


http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/the_system_designed_to_keep.php

[Trillo]

1. The movers and shakers of drug culture,

these particular doctors, are liars. Some parents took their children to liar doctors, with the blessings of the state. $$$KaChing$$$

I guess that's why the AMA, during the Bush years, sent a good 75% of its funds to Republicans. So lying ways could continue.

The unmentionable is the correlation of the "highly educated" to deception, and schools' part in creating it.

[canoeist52]

2. A drop in the bucket

compared to how much drug companies have soaked Americans for the cholesterol myth.

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

[babylonsister]

4. Thanks for that link:

I stopped taking Lipitor last week because I had spasms in my legs. Now I'm glad I did!

[hisownpetard]

3. Drug companies have long been providing gifts and services and basketball tickets to doctors

in private practice, along with all kinds of other benefits that can't be traced, and they have no problem
finding physicians who are willing to play along.

Guess it was only a matter of time before doctors in research started whining, "Hey, how about us?"

[OhioChick]

5. This is so blatantly wrong....

However, it's been going on for years...

[Uncle Joe]

6. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.

[elehhhhna]

7. Bribery. Pure and simple. The fact that it was undisclosed proves it.

He should lose his license, retire in shame, and his "research" should be VERY carefully reviewed. Then a class action suit by families of the kids took their own lives while on these meds.