[fishsandwich]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...harmaceuticals

Rather frightening. And yet people still beaver on about how great antidepressants are and how there must totally be evidence that they work, in spite of all this continued corruption? Nobody questions it really? I cannot believe it.

[volatile]

Yeah. it's truly ridiculous.

[Gr3tta]

I think people do question it, just not the people in a position to do anything about it. No matter how we restructure governments and class structures and blah blah, there always winds up being a select few holding all the power. And they mainly use it to make themselves more money.

[costello]

Why is it that this stuff shows up repeatedly, but people still trust those drugs. If they're so great, why do they have to bribe the pdocs? Why do they have to lie in their journal articles?

This stuff makes me mad, because most people really believe the things that are printed in medical and research journals:

GSK also published an article in a medical journal that mis-stated the drug's safety for children, despite the journal asking several times to change the wording.

But why did the journal have to "ask" GSK to change the wording? Do they have no control over what's published in their journal?

[fishsandwich]

Originally Posted by costello

Why is it that this stuff shows up repeatedly, but people still trust those drugs. If they're so great, why do they have to bribe the pdocs? Why do they have to lie in their journal articles?

YES!! This is my question exactly! Also: How come when even the government/regulators are saying these companies are lying and misrepresenting, that questioning the efficacy of the drugs is still seen as "discriminating" against people with "mental illness"??

Originally Posted by costello

But why did the journal have to "ask" GSK to change the wording? Do they have no control over what's published in their journal?

That is an interesting question. I wonder if they are getting funding from the drugs companies too. One would hope that if a journal thought an article was misrepresenting, they would just refuse to publish it.

[costello]

Originally Posted by fishsandwich

That is an interesting question. I wonder if they are getting funding from the drugs companies too. One would hope that if a journal thought an article was misrepresenting, they would just refuse to publish it.

I think it's a funding issue.

This is a real sore point for me, because if you tell people that the medical journals are being manipulated to get across Big Pharm's message, people just roll their eyes at you. But it's true. The research is funded by the drug companies. Then they don't publish it if it comes out unfavorable to their medication.

It's not surprising the drug produced by the company funding the study is usually the one which comes out best in any given study. Hmmm... I wonder why that would be?

So GSK uses misleading wording in their journal article - which apparently the journal's publisher can only stand by and weakly protest. Then they print off copies of this crap research/article and hand it out to doctors at a conference to bolster their sales. And, yes, people think if it's written in a medical journal it must be right.

But never fear. If their drug makes you sick, I'm sure they have another drug to treat that sickness.

[Helix]

While I was on Paxil, I attacked 3 people, pierced myself all over by myself, dyed my hair an obnoxious blond. Paxil was terrible, I'm glad I have been off of it.

[Wayfarer25]

Originally Posted by costello

But never fear. If their drug makes you sick, I'm sure they have another drug to treat that sickness.

Too true. Being a nurse, I see this where I practice. People are drugged for legitimate problems, but then take other drugs because drug #1 started causing side effects. I've got people taking anywhere between 10-20 different pills a day. It's disgusting really. And it's all about putting money in the right pockets. Half the drugs my patients take they probably don't even need.

This stuff makes me so, so, so angry... This is why I will never trust a psychiatrist with the contents of my mind. I'm so scared if I ever have a crisis situation that they will pump me up with drugs & THEN ask me what's wrong. Sigh -- As if having a mental situation wasn't stressful enough. : /