Drug Industry Scandal a 'Crisis'
Ritt Goldstein | 11.10.2004 22:54 | Health
An estimated 1 million US dead and a proportionate amount in Europe, the compromising of key elements within the medical community and its regulatory structures, the blind pursuit of billions of dollars in corporate profits -- all have surfaced in a detonating pharmaceutical industry scandal of global dimension.
Drug Industry Scandal a 'Crisis'
Ritt Goldstein
Inter Press Service
http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/print.asp?idnews=25716
Vast numbers of dead, the compromising of key elements within the medical community and its regulatory structures, the blind pursuit of billions of dollars in corporate profits -- all have surfaced in a detonating pharmaceutical industry scandal of global dimension.
STOCKHOLM, Oct 4 (IPS) - The suicide deaths of numerous young people, despite the existence of information that could have precluded them, sparked the revelations. But a far broader, systemic and devastating problem has emerged regarding the full spectrum of newer prescription medications.
"It's a general healthcare crisis, I think, at this point in time," famed British drug scientist and psychiatrist David Healy said in an interview.
"If the pharmaceutical companies in this area -- in the area of a hazard like a child being made suicidal by these drugs -- if they're prepared to sweep a thing like this under the carpet, then there isn't anyone taking any other drugs who can really be confident."
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Lexchin, who consults on pharmaceutical policy for groups such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and governments including Australia and Canada, estimated that in the last five years, "biased research, suppression of negative studies, over-publication of positive studies and, all their (the pharmaceutical industry's) promotional activities, which includes their funding of continuing medical education," has meant, yearly, "one death per 1,500 people" in the general population.
That translates into 6,670 deaths a year for every 10 million of a nation's populace.
For perspective, about 3,000 people died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
Link to full story, including selected source documents
http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/print.asp?idnews=25716
See Also
"Finance first in today's drug testing", part 2 of this series
Ritt Goldstein
Inter Press Service
http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/print.asp?idnews=25716 Vast numbers of dead, the compromising of key elements within the medical community and its regulatory structures, the blind pursuit of billions of dollars in corporate profits -- all have surfaced in a detonating pharmaceutical industry scandal of global dimension.
STOCKHOLM, Oct 4 (IPS) - The suicide deaths of numerous young people, despite the existence of information that could have precluded them, sparked the revelations. But a far broader, systemic and devastating problem has emerged regarding the full spectrum of newer prescription medications.
"It's a general healthcare crisis, I think, at this point in time," famed British drug scientist and psychiatrist David Healy said in an interview.
"If the pharmaceutical companies in this area -- in the area of a hazard like a child being made suicidal by these drugs -- if they're prepared to sweep a thing like this under the carpet, then there isn't anyone taking any other drugs who can really be confident."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lexchin, who consults on pharmaceutical policy for groups such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and governments including Australia and Canada, estimated that in the last five years, "biased research, suppression of negative studies, over-publication of positive studies and, all their (the pharmaceutical industry's) promotional activities, which includes their funding of continuing medical education," has meant, yearly, "one death per 1,500 people" in the general population.
That translates into 6,670 deaths a year for every 10 million of a nation's populace.
For perspective, about 3,000 people died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
Link to full story, including selected source documents
http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/print.asp?idnews=25716 See Also
"Finance first in today's drug testing", part 2 of this series
Ritt Goldstein
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