NEWS
VIA MiamiHerald:
"South Florida psychiatrist Alan Gumer got in near the start of the nation’s largest mental-health clinic racket in 2004, signing bogus medical evaluations to qualify patients for costly group therapy sessions covered by Medicare.
“At times,’’ Gumer also “prescribed psychiatric medications to individuals who did not need them to make it appear to Medicare that the patients’’ qualified for treatment, according to federal court documents.
On Thursday, Gumer, 64, of Tamarac pleaded guilty to Medicare fraud for his critical role in a massive, $200 million scheme. The racket enabled Miami-based American Therapeutic Corp. to bill the government program for psychotherapy that was unnecessary for thousands of patients who faked suffering from depression, schizophrenia or bipolar conditions.
Justice Department lawyer Jennifer Saulino said Gumer was responsible for $19.3 million in false claims filed on behalf of the patients, who were paid kickbacks by the American Therapeutic chain of South Florida clinics. Asked by U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz why he pleaded guilty, Gumer said: “It’s the right thing to do.”
Gumer became the first doctor among three psychiatrists indicted in the American Therapeutic case to admit playing such a dominant part in the seven-year scam, which netted $83 million in Medicare payments for the company. He and two other psychiatrists, Dr. Mark Willner of Weston and Dr. Alberto Ayala of Miami-Dade, served as the company’s medical directors."
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Discover and Recover blog author Duane Sherry lands in a Shrink Rap blog post by 1 of the 3 doctors, Dinah
Dinah, one of the 3 psychiatrists who author the Shrink Rap blog, has written a post that has a condescending tone, and arrogant air about it, and Dinah 'offers' Duane Sherry a space for commenting on the blog.
In that post, Dinah highlights Duane's position on psychiatric medications which differ from Dinah's. Apparently, Duane is a frequent commenter at that blog and Dinah, in her attempt to 'give him a space' to share his thoughts and add comments via the comment box, has in fact marginalized, and placed Duane Sherry in a nice tidy box, where Dinah, it appears has an inability to see all sides of the discussion on medications.
Frankly, the blog post at Shrink Rap blog is beyond arrogant and does the opposite of what she may be attempting to do: befriend certain commenters and readers, or is she showing her "I'm the doctor" side? I'll take "I'm the doctor" side for 50!
This is the problem with many doctors, and part of the turn off of patients, are doctors that have a one way only thought process to the treatment of mental illness.
There can be and never will be open dialogue, when doctors write posts making a mockery of someone like Duane Sherry.
She may as well give me a space to, for my redundant posts about the harm antipsychotics can do to children or mine for that matter.
Duane is a frequent commenter on this blog too, and has been for years. He leaves thoughtful straight to the point comments, and I appreciate them.
He also writes from personal passion as a father, because his son was once diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 11 (correct me if I am wrong Duane) after a manic reaction to antidepressants prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety (in 2005) was then prescribed the antipsychotic Geodon.
FROM the Pharmalot article from 2007
"Arnold Mech, a psychiatrist in Plano, Texas, diagnosed Brian with bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, social anxiety, generalized anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Mech prescribed Geodon and the Pfizer antidepressant Zoloft, along with Lilly’s Straterra, a stimulant. To counteract the sedating effect of Geodon, he added Cephalon’s Provigil, a drug that promotes wakefulness.
Over the next seven months, Brian had only fleeting relief from anxious, angry moods and rages, he says. The drugs made him so tired he could barely function, his father says. Duane decided to wean his son off the meds and start him on a regimen of vitamins and herbal supplements. Since the switch, Brian says his moods and his relationships with schoolmates are better.
“The biggest thing was it kind of slowed down my thinking process,” he says. While on the meds, “I would make very rash decisions and get in trouble at school. When you slow down and think things through more rationally, it really helps.” "
AND
"Mech says he helped conduct a pediatric study of Geodon on behalf of Pfizer and has done research sponsored by 11 other drug companies and serves on the advisory boards or speakers’ bureaus of 18 drug and medical device makers, according to records he provided."
Similar over-diagnosing and turned out to be wrong, yet drugged to the moon is my daughter. Her outcome is less than best. The decade of psych meds for all intent and purpose, fried her brain. Damaged.
She struggles daily to form words into sentences and 3-5 words are typically all we hear, when we hear it. She reads notes when I speak, I write a note to go with the discussion, and that way she can process the information.
Sometimes, she looks like she wants to say something, and struggles so hard to get out a word, it's heart wrenching.
She had gained over 100lbs on Zyprexa, and that drug and the weight is gone. All of the school afternoons spent at 15 minute med checks with psychiatrists are gone. Her teen years, gone. High school graduation, never happened. The drugs, snuffed out one of the most vivacious and lively persons I have ever known. Her laughter filled a room, and she had a great sense of humor. I used to describe her the last few years as she used to be, but reality is, she isn't that anymore.
She is like a shadow of herself, and she does a few walks, or pets her dog, and I do get smiles from her when I (amidst my rambling talking that I still do, because she hears me and damn it she is still here) --- bake her brownies or make her spaghetti. This week the challenge is to again, do daily self care to go out, and the goal is the Zoo. Tried once and we will try again, until she can handle it and get out. It may take all summer, it may never happen. That hurts. But this is it.
Duane Sherry's blog is a mental health clearinghouse and resource, titled Discover and Recover, Resources for Mental and Overall Wellness. Check it out for many useful articles and links.
As for Shrink Rap blog, I'm generally not a reader, and that is due to the condenscending tone that Dinah carries there. That's my honest answer on that. Check their blog out, maybe it's your cup of tea, it's just not mine.
Duane, thanks for the comments and the support, and I wish the best for your son, a continued successful life.
The comment he left at the Pharmalot article referenced above says it the best:
"Is recovery from this ‘life-long’ illness possible?
Without medication?
You bet it is!"
Duane Sherry, M.S., CRC
http://discoverandrecover.wordpress/.
In that post, Dinah highlights Duane's position on psychiatric medications which differ from Dinah's. Apparently, Duane is a frequent commenter at that blog and Dinah, in her attempt to 'give him a space' to share his thoughts and add comments via the comment box, has in fact marginalized, and placed Duane Sherry in a nice tidy box, where Dinah, it appears has an inability to see all sides of the discussion on medications.
Frankly, the blog post at Shrink Rap blog is beyond arrogant and does the opposite of what she may be attempting to do: befriend certain commenters and readers, or is she showing her "I'm the doctor" side? I'll take "I'm the doctor" side for 50!
This is the problem with many doctors, and part of the turn off of patients, are doctors that have a one way only thought process to the treatment of mental illness.
There can be and never will be open dialogue, when doctors write posts making a mockery of someone like Duane Sherry.
She may as well give me a space to, for my redundant posts about the harm antipsychotics can do to children or mine for that matter.
Duane is a frequent commenter on this blog too, and has been for years. He leaves thoughtful straight to the point comments, and I appreciate them.
He also writes from personal passion as a father, because his son was once diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 11 (correct me if I am wrong Duane) after a manic reaction to antidepressants prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety (in 2005) was then prescribed the antipsychotic Geodon.
FROM the Pharmalot article from 2007
"Arnold Mech, a psychiatrist in Plano, Texas, diagnosed Brian with bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, social anxiety, generalized anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Mech prescribed Geodon and the Pfizer antidepressant Zoloft, along with Lilly’s Straterra, a stimulant. To counteract the sedating effect of Geodon, he added Cephalon’s Provigil, a drug that promotes wakefulness.
Over the next seven months, Brian had only fleeting relief from anxious, angry moods and rages, he says. The drugs made him so tired he could barely function, his father says. Duane decided to wean his son off the meds and start him on a regimen of vitamins and herbal supplements. Since the switch, Brian says his moods and his relationships with schoolmates are better.
“The biggest thing was it kind of slowed down my thinking process,” he says. While on the meds, “I would make very rash decisions and get in trouble at school. When you slow down and think things through more rationally, it really helps.” "
AND
"Mech says he helped conduct a pediatric study of Geodon on behalf of Pfizer and has done research sponsored by 11 other drug companies and serves on the advisory boards or speakers’ bureaus of 18 drug and medical device makers, according to records he provided."
Similar over-diagnosing and turned out to be wrong, yet drugged to the moon is my daughter. Her outcome is less than best. The decade of psych meds for all intent and purpose, fried her brain. Damaged.
She struggles daily to form words into sentences and 3-5 words are typically all we hear, when we hear it. She reads notes when I speak, I write a note to go with the discussion, and that way she can process the information.
Sometimes, she looks like she wants to say something, and struggles so hard to get out a word, it's heart wrenching.
She had gained over 100lbs on Zyprexa, and that drug and the weight is gone. All of the school afternoons spent at 15 minute med checks with psychiatrists are gone. Her teen years, gone. High school graduation, never happened. The drugs, snuffed out one of the most vivacious and lively persons I have ever known. Her laughter filled a room, and she had a great sense of humor. I used to describe her the last few years as she used to be, but reality is, she isn't that anymore.
She is like a shadow of herself, and she does a few walks, or pets her dog, and I do get smiles from her when I (amidst my rambling talking that I still do, because she hears me and damn it she is still here) --- bake her brownies or make her spaghetti. This week the challenge is to again, do daily self care to go out, and the goal is the Zoo. Tried once and we will try again, until she can handle it and get out. It may take all summer, it may never happen. That hurts. But this is it.
Duane Sherry's blog is a mental health clearinghouse and resource, titled Discover and Recover, Resources for Mental and Overall Wellness. Check it out for many useful articles and links.
As for Shrink Rap blog, I'm generally not a reader, and that is due to the condenscending tone that Dinah carries there. That's my honest answer on that. Check their blog out, maybe it's your cup of tea, it's just not mine.
Duane, thanks for the comments and the support, and I wish the best for your son, a continued successful life.
The comment he left at the Pharmalot article referenced above says it the best:
"Is recovery from this ‘life-long’ illness possible?
Without medication?
You bet it is!"
Duane Sherry, M.S., CRC
http://discoverandrecover.wordpress/.
Pediatric Bipolar :"Dr. Biederman is not someone to jerk around. He is a very powerful national figure in child psych and has a very short fuse."
VIA retired psychiatrist and author of 1 Boring Old Man blog, a great article profiling the pediatric bipolar diagnosis KOL, Dr. Joseph Biederman. The snippet below is from an internal email regarding payment to Biederman from Janssen for a Grand Rounds Program, and upon non receipt of the $3000.00, Biederman had a fit, according to the email, described as a "tirade" and according to the email the author of the email and a drug rep took an "hour of verbal beating.I have never seen someone so angry."
From 1 Boring Old Man blog: (part of the document/email)
"After getting turned down for a grant, Biederman had a fit. "Dr. Biederman is not someone to jerk around. He is a very powerful national figure in child psych and has a very short fuse." This is the part that struck me, "Dr. Biederman is head of adolescent psych at MGH. Since that time, our business became non existant within his area of control." That was a few years earlier. So now in 1999, Janssen was apparently balking at paying him a stiff fee for a Grand Rounds program at UConn, and Biederman is having yet another fit. "… we have jerked him around. I am truly affraid of the repercussions." Apparently, the fee had been promised by a Janssen rep who was "… doing everything she could think of to get Dr. Biederman back in our graces."
The entire post is worth your time to read,"not someone to jerk around" as I have written about Biederman and his "God" complex for a long time, and I find Dr.Boring Old Man's post to be a great expose' --the over-rated, self-appointed, pharma paid, Grassley investigated, Harvard Mafia team of researchers that trials antipsychotics on kids such as Wozniak and Biederman, ala Seroquel and Risperdal. It's time for Biederman to be jerked from of his self-righteous throne.
It's a series of great posts
Update: Part 2 at Boring Old Man blog-Harvard for Sale
Part 3:Bipolar Kids COBY (Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth
Part 4: Bipolar Kids: my take from COBY
Part 5: Harvard Acts news of Biederman's sanction arrives as he was reviewing articles about Childhood Bipolar
Part 6: Bipolar Kids: an all too familiar lingo
Part 7: Bipolar Kids: Biedermania and super angry/grouchy/cranky irritability-brilliant documentation of the bipolar child diagnosis evolution
Part 8: Bipolar Kids: postscript,detestable? Amazing! the retired psychiatrist connects it all together right down to Janssen, ghostwriting and more.
From 1 Boring Old Man blog: (part of the document/email)
"After getting turned down for a grant, Biederman had a fit. "Dr. Biederman is not someone to jerk around. He is a very powerful national figure in child psych and has a very short fuse." This is the part that struck me, "Dr. Biederman is head of adolescent psych at MGH. Since that time, our business became non existant within his area of control." That was a few years earlier. So now in 1999, Janssen was apparently balking at paying him a stiff fee for a Grand Rounds program at UConn, and Biederman is having yet another fit. "… we have jerked him around. I am truly affraid of the repercussions." Apparently, the fee had been promised by a Janssen rep who was "… doing everything she could think of to get Dr. Biederman back in our graces."
The entire post is worth your time to read,"not someone to jerk around" as I have written about Biederman and his "God" complex for a long time, and I find Dr.Boring Old Man's post to be a great expose' --the over-rated, self-appointed, pharma paid, Grassley investigated, Harvard Mafia team of researchers that trials antipsychotics on kids such as Wozniak and Biederman, ala Seroquel and Risperdal. It's time for Biederman to be jerked from of his self-righteous throne.
It's a series of great posts
Update: Part 2 at Boring Old Man blog-Harvard for Sale
Part 3:Bipolar Kids COBY (Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth
Part 4: Bipolar Kids: my take from COBY
Part 5: Harvard Acts news of Biederman's sanction arrives as he was reviewing articles about Childhood Bipolar
Part 6: Bipolar Kids: an all too familiar lingo
Part 7: Bipolar Kids: Biedermania and super angry/grouchy/cranky irritability-brilliant documentation of the bipolar child diagnosis evolution
Part 8: Bipolar Kids: postscript,detestable? Amazing! the retired psychiatrist connects it all together right down to Janssen, ghostwriting and more.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
quote of the day
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
~Albert Camus
Supreme Court backs Lilly in class action for overpricing of antipsychotic Zyprexa
VIA Fierce Pharma:
"The group of plaintiffs--including pension funds, unions and insurers--had been seeking $6.8 billion, saying Lilly's improper marketing induced them to spend more on the antipsychotic drug than they would have otherwise.
The plaintiffs sued on behalf of thousands of third-party payers, claiming that they overpaid for Zyprexa because Lilly aggressively promoted the drug for off-label uses, and the company misrepresented the drug's efficacy and safety. A trial judge allowed the class action, but a U.S. circuit court stopped the suit cold, saying the plaintiffs had shown no direct link between the prices they paid for Zyprexa and Lilly's alleged mismarketing."
AND
"The Supreme Court has effectively sided with the appeals panel. Without commenting on the claims themselves, the justices said the case didn't fit the requirements for a class action. They ordered the trial judge to consider whether the individual plaintiffs--which include Sergeants Benevolent Association Health and Welfare Fund--can pursue their claims individually."
Bloomberg story
"The group of plaintiffs--including pension funds, unions and insurers--had been seeking $6.8 billion, saying Lilly's improper marketing induced them to spend more on the antipsychotic drug than they would have otherwise.
The plaintiffs sued on behalf of thousands of third-party payers, claiming that they overpaid for Zyprexa because Lilly aggressively promoted the drug for off-label uses, and the company misrepresented the drug's efficacy and safety. A trial judge allowed the class action, but a U.S. circuit court stopped the suit cold, saying the plaintiffs had shown no direct link between the prices they paid for Zyprexa and Lilly's alleged mismarketing."
AND
"The Supreme Court has effectively sided with the appeals panel. Without commenting on the claims themselves, the justices said the case didn't fit the requirements for a class action. They ordered the trial judge to consider whether the individual plaintiffs--which include Sergeants Benevolent Association Health and Welfare Fund--can pursue their claims individually."
Bloomberg story
Monday, June 27, 2011
Abilify and Seroquel makers AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb diabetes drug dapagliflozin linked to breast and bladder cancer
VIA Reuters
A new type of diabetes pill being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca was effective in a two-year study but more bladder and breast cancers have been found in patients treated with the drug.
"In all studies so far completed, 1.4 percent of patients treated with dapagliflozin developed some type of cancer, compared with 1.3 percent of control group patients, said Elisabeth Bjork, vice president of development for dapagliflozin at AstraZeneca.
Nine bladder cancers have been observed in 5,478 patients treated with the experimental drug, compared with one bladder cancer seen in the 3,156 patients in control groups.
Six of the 10 had blood in the urine, known as hematuria, when they entered trials and five were diagnosed within a year after their study started.
The companies also said nine cases of breast cancer have occurred in 2,223 women on dapagliflozin and one has been observed out of 1,053 women in control groups. All were diagnosed within a year after studies started."
----
Irony
Patients who became diabetic after taking the antipsychotic Abilify or Seroquel ironically could end up with breast or bladder cancer from the company duo's created diabetes drug dapagliflozin. Talk about a negative twist of fate.
"Bristol and AstraZeneca filed earlier this year for U.S. and European regulatory approval of dapagliflozin. An advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to review the application on July 19."
A new type of diabetes pill being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca was effective in a two-year study but more bladder and breast cancers have been found in patients treated with the drug.
"In all studies so far completed, 1.4 percent of patients treated with dapagliflozin developed some type of cancer, compared with 1.3 percent of control group patients, said Elisabeth Bjork, vice president of development for dapagliflozin at AstraZeneca.
Nine bladder cancers have been observed in 5,478 patients treated with the experimental drug, compared with one bladder cancer seen in the 3,156 patients in control groups.
Six of the 10 had blood in the urine, known as hematuria, when they entered trials and five were diagnosed within a year after their study started.
The companies also said nine cases of breast cancer have occurred in 2,223 women on dapagliflozin and one has been observed out of 1,053 women in control groups. All were diagnosed within a year after studies started."
----
Irony
Patients who became diabetic after taking the antipsychotic Abilify or Seroquel ironically could end up with breast or bladder cancer from the company duo's created diabetes drug dapagliflozin. Talk about a negative twist of fate.
"Bristol and AstraZeneca filed earlier this year for U.S. and European regulatory approval of dapagliflozin. An advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to review the application on July 19."
Does the risk outweigh the benefit?
2 podcast recommendations: Robert Whitaker debates Irish Psychiatrist Patricia Casey--and Leonie Fennell, a mom who lost her son to suicide
Leonie Fennell writes a blog, based on the death of her son Shane. Shane killed himself just 3 weeks after taking the antidepressant Celexa, (cipramil). In the midst of her angst she has recently been sent a letter threatening legal consequences due to naming a doctor on her blog, mixed with emotional opinion, which leads Leonie to question her freedom of speech as a blogger. The doctor is Irish psychiatrist Patricia Casey.
Robert Whitaker is a well-known award winning author of the book Anatomy of an Epidemic. The podcasts feature Whitaker and Casey in a discussion, and debate over long term use of antipsychotics and the increase of disabled people in America's 'epidemic' of mental illness. Leonie is featured in a podcast interview done by blogger and author Bob Fiddaman.
Listen to both podcasts for an indepth grasp and insight into the world of mental health from several points of view, a psychiatrist, a journalist in persuit of the truth, and a grieving mother who wants truth, justice and awareness of antidepressant related suicide and homicide brought into light.
Patricia Casey, the psychiatrist was a speaker at a Lundbeck symposium discussing controversies in psychiatry. In that linked document, there is no financial disclosure of speakers listed, though Lundbeck is the creator of Citalopram (Celexa) an antidepressant.
"Citalopram is sold under the brand-names Celexa (U.S. and Canada, Forest Laboratories, Inc.), Citalopram (USA, United Kingdom, Denmark), Citta (Brazil), Cipramil (Australia, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa), Elopram (Italy)[31] Citol, Vodelax (Turkey), Citrol, Seropram, Talam (Europe and Australia), Citabax, Citaxin (Poland), Citalec (Slovakia, Czech Republic), Recital (Israel, Thrima Inc. for Unipharm Ltd.), Zetalo (India), Celapram, Ciazil (Australia, New Zealand), Zentius, Cimal (South America, by Roemmers and Recalcine), Ciprapine (Ireland), Cilift (South Africa), Citox (Mexico), Temperax (Chile, Peru, Argentina), Talohexal (Australia), Citopam (Australia), Akarin (Denmark, Nycomed), Cipram (Turkey, Denmark, H. Lundbeck A/S), Dalsan (Eastern Europe), Pramcit (Pakistan), and Celius (Greece), Humorup (Argentina), Oropram (Iceland, Actavis), Zylotex (Portugal)."
Leonie Fennell interviewed by Bob Fiddaman
Robert Whitaker and Patricia Casey radio podcast
LINK HERE
Robert Whitaker is a well-known award winning author of the book Anatomy of an Epidemic. The podcasts feature Whitaker and Casey in a discussion, and debate over long term use of antipsychotics and the increase of disabled people in America's 'epidemic' of mental illness. Leonie is featured in a podcast interview done by blogger and author Bob Fiddaman.
Listen to both podcasts for an indepth grasp and insight into the world of mental health from several points of view, a psychiatrist, a journalist in persuit of the truth, and a grieving mother who wants truth, justice and awareness of antidepressant related suicide and homicide brought into light.
Patricia Casey, the psychiatrist was a speaker at a Lundbeck symposium discussing controversies in psychiatry. In that linked document, there is no financial disclosure of speakers listed, though Lundbeck is the creator of Citalopram (Celexa) an antidepressant.
"Citalopram is sold under the brand-names Celexa (U.S. and Canada, Forest Laboratories, Inc.), Citalopram (USA, United Kingdom, Denmark), Citta (Brazil), Cipramil (Australia, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa), Elopram (Italy)[31] Citol, Vodelax (Turkey), Citrol, Seropram, Talam (Europe and Australia), Citabax, Citaxin (Poland), Citalec (Slovakia, Czech Republic), Recital (Israel, Thrima Inc. for Unipharm Ltd.), Zetalo (India), Celapram, Ciazil (Australia, New Zealand), Zentius, Cimal (South America, by Roemmers and Recalcine), Ciprapine (Ireland), Cilift (South Africa), Citox (Mexico), Temperax (Chile, Peru, Argentina), Talohexal (Australia), Citopam (Australia), Akarin (Denmark, Nycomed), Cipram (Turkey, Denmark, H. Lundbeck A/S), Dalsan (Eastern Europe), Pramcit (Pakistan), and Celius (Greece), Humorup (Argentina), Oropram (Iceland, Actavis), Zylotex (Portugal)."
Leonie Fennell interviewed by Bob Fiddaman
Robert Whitaker and Patricia Casey radio podcast
LINK HERE
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Irish Blogger bullied and threatened by Professor Patricia Casey for expressing emotions
From Leonie, mother of Shane Clancy
Leonie Fennell's blog-Shane Clancy another SSRI death: (Cipramil/celexa )
"Solicitors letter from Professor Casey and my right to “freedom of speech”!
June 2011
PROFESSOR PATRICIA CASEY
Dear Ms Fennell,
We are instructed by Professor Patricia Casey of the Mater Hospital in Dublin. Our client has instructed us in relation to comments appearing on your internet blog in which you repeat a statement that another lady made to you that “Patricia Casey ruined my son’s life”. You also publish a letter on your blog to the Irish Medicines Board on 16th March 2011. As part of this letter you say “… as Patricia Casey has a long and I am sure lucrative association with Lundbeck … you can take from that anything you want to”.
The implication in this second comment is that our client either knows or ought to know of what you describe in your blog as the potentially fatal side effects of certain antidepressants, and yet continues to prescribe these anti-depressants. The very clear implication here is that our client receives payments from drug companies and is quite happy to prescribe anti-depressants to individuals who should not take these drugs and who would be placed in danger if they did take these drugs.
This portrays our client as a person who is unfit to practice in the area of psychiatry. The first comment – that our client ‘ruined’ someone’s life is even more serious and while it is entirely untrue and without foundation, it is clearly extremely damaging to our client.
Our client has strongly held views in this area. However, this does not entitle you to portray her as a person who knowingly and recklessly would prescribe drugs in completely inappropriate circumstances. She has commented in public on numerous occasions stating that there are many circumstances where she would never prescribe antidepressant drugs and completely accepts that there can be very serious side effects in certain circumstances. Our client has a well established reputation throughout Ireland and abroad and is a highly respected member of the psychiatric community both nationally and internationally. She is enormously sympathetic to the tragedy you have suffered since the death of your son and she has only asked us to write to you extremely reluctantly and very much as a last resort. She is not suggesting that you should remove your blog but she does insist that you immediately remove the defamatory comments about her. She has not ruined anybody’s life through the inappropriate prescription of drugs and it is very wrong of you to imply that she would seek financial gain and risk prescribing drugs to individuals who she knows would suffer as a result.
The purpose of this letter is to insist that you remove the offending comments from your blog and that you do not repeat these comments or similar comments in the future. While our client feels enormous sympathy for you and your family, she cannot have her reputation destroyed or attacked in this manner and we must insist therefore that you take this appropriate action immediately so as to avoid any further difficulties in the future.
Yours faithfully,
BROPHY SOLICITORS
------------
26/06/2011
"I have received this letter via e-mail from Brophy solicitors and as would like to state publicly that I have never lied in this blog and my opinions are exactly that, my opinion, and in stating the facts people will come to their own conclusion but I have duly removed the offending comments.
I will never be bullied, intimidated or silenced by lundbeck or Professor Casey!
Regarding my letter to the Irish Medicines Board on 16th March 2011, I am entitled to my opinion and as I’m sure Professor Casey does not do all her work for Lundbeck for free, well that means she gets paid honoraria, otherwise known as cash, does it not?
I have decided to take the other offending comment down regarding my conversation with the aforementioned lady as I would never reveal her identity, and what is said to me is and will always remain private and confidential (unless the person chooses otherwise).
I am not the first person to write about Patricia Casey and some of my concerns have been written about before. It is not in my nature to target a particular individual (particularly one who is married to a barrister…), as I would generally feel a bit sorry for them but in this case the fact that Professor Casey attended Shane’s inquest and publicly took issue with certain aspects of it, the facts are there that she is associated with psychiatry Ireland and also Lundbeck (makers of citalopram) so why would I not be allowed to publicly take issue and voice my own concerns?
I am very glad that Professor Casey is not suggesting that I remove my blog as that is very unlikely to happen in my lifetime, as I also have some very strong views in this area.
The defence of truth and Honest Opinion are still defences in Ireland are they not? Also Professor Casey has publicly stated that there are no evidence that antidepressants cause homicide and no evidence that antidepressants cause suicide but yet Lundbeck admit it in their Canadian healthcare professional letter.
Scroll up to 5 mins and 36 seconds on this youtube video http://youtu.be/vV7HhfvxHPk and the question is asked about a recent case in the Irish media, which I presume is referring to my son, so am I to take it that Professor Casey is defaming me with her denial?
As for the confidentiality clause at the end of this e-mail…I did not agree to keep this letter confidential and it is my choice not to do so and I take issue with the legaleze language of trying to silence me!" The revised offending articles…Link 1 and Link 2 --Leonie Fennell
Patrica Casey Wikipedia-Patricia Casey is an Irish psychiatrist and conservative activist. She is Professor of Psychiatry at University College Dublin and consultant psychiatrist at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin.[1] She may be best known for her promotion of mental health awareness and for her views on a variety of social issues
"Misrepresentation of data
Casey has been faulted for misrepresenting research data in order to support her position against same-sex marriage and same-sex couple adoption. She has made repeated reference to a parenting study from Uppsala University, Sweden, as a study that shows that "children...do best when raised by their married biological parents,"[18][21] despite the fact that the University and the authors of the report have rejected as invalid Casey's interpretation of their results. They have stated that her claim that children do better when raised by married heterosexuals is "not valid based on our findings... no comparisons were made with gay or lesbian family constellations in the studies included in the review."
Listen to Podcast with Robert Whitaker author of Anatomy of an Epidemic debate Psychiatrist Patricia Casey HERE
"On the 'Today With Pat Kenny' show on RTE Radio 1 on 28 February 2011, Whitaker debates with bio-psychiatrist Patricia Casey, professor of psychiatry at University College Dublin, whether we need to start an open conversation about how to stem the epidemic of disabling mental illness in society and move to a paradigm of care that helps people get well and stay well over the long term."
In support of Leonie, a list of bloggers writing about this story will be updated as I find the articles
Fiddaman Seroxat Sufferers Stand Up and Counted
Psychiatry, It's a Killing blog
If You're Going through hell blog
Leonie Fennell's blog-Shane Clancy another SSRI death: (Cipramil/celexa )
"Solicitors letter from Professor Casey and my right to “freedom of speech”!
June 2011
PROFESSOR PATRICIA CASEY
Dear Ms Fennell,
We are instructed by Professor Patricia Casey of the Mater Hospital in Dublin. Our client has instructed us in relation to comments appearing on your internet blog in which you repeat a statement that another lady made to you that “Patricia Casey ruined my son’s life”. You also publish a letter on your blog to the Irish Medicines Board on 16th March 2011. As part of this letter you say “… as Patricia Casey has a long and I am sure lucrative association with Lundbeck … you can take from that anything you want to”.
The implication in this second comment is that our client either knows or ought to know of what you describe in your blog as the potentially fatal side effects of certain antidepressants, and yet continues to prescribe these anti-depressants. The very clear implication here is that our client receives payments from drug companies and is quite happy to prescribe anti-depressants to individuals who should not take these drugs and who would be placed in danger if they did take these drugs.
This portrays our client as a person who is unfit to practice in the area of psychiatry. The first comment – that our client ‘ruined’ someone’s life is even more serious and while it is entirely untrue and without foundation, it is clearly extremely damaging to our client.
Our client has strongly held views in this area. However, this does not entitle you to portray her as a person who knowingly and recklessly would prescribe drugs in completely inappropriate circumstances. She has commented in public on numerous occasions stating that there are many circumstances where she would never prescribe antidepressant drugs and completely accepts that there can be very serious side effects in certain circumstances. Our client has a well established reputation throughout Ireland and abroad and is a highly respected member of the psychiatric community both nationally and internationally. She is enormously sympathetic to the tragedy you have suffered since the death of your son and she has only asked us to write to you extremely reluctantly and very much as a last resort. She is not suggesting that you should remove your blog but she does insist that you immediately remove the defamatory comments about her. She has not ruined anybody’s life through the inappropriate prescription of drugs and it is very wrong of you to imply that she would seek financial gain and risk prescribing drugs to individuals who she knows would suffer as a result.
The purpose of this letter is to insist that you remove the offending comments from your blog and that you do not repeat these comments or similar comments in the future. While our client feels enormous sympathy for you and your family, she cannot have her reputation destroyed or attacked in this manner and we must insist therefore that you take this appropriate action immediately so as to avoid any further difficulties in the future.
Yours faithfully,
BROPHY SOLICITORS
------------
26/06/2011
"I have received this letter via e-mail from Brophy solicitors and as would like to state publicly that I have never lied in this blog and my opinions are exactly that, my opinion, and in stating the facts people will come to their own conclusion but I have duly removed the offending comments.
I will never be bullied, intimidated or silenced by lundbeck or Professor Casey!
Regarding my letter to the Irish Medicines Board on 16th March 2011, I am entitled to my opinion and as I’m sure Professor Casey does not do all her work for Lundbeck for free, well that means she gets paid honoraria, otherwise known as cash, does it not?
I have decided to take the other offending comment down regarding my conversation with the aforementioned lady as I would never reveal her identity, and what is said to me is and will always remain private and confidential (unless the person chooses otherwise).
I am not the first person to write about Patricia Casey and some of my concerns have been written about before. It is not in my nature to target a particular individual (particularly one who is married to a barrister…), as I would generally feel a bit sorry for them but in this case the fact that Professor Casey attended Shane’s inquest and publicly took issue with certain aspects of it, the facts are there that she is associated with psychiatry Ireland and also Lundbeck (makers of citalopram) so why would I not be allowed to publicly take issue and voice my own concerns?
I am very glad that Professor Casey is not suggesting that I remove my blog as that is very unlikely to happen in my lifetime, as I also have some very strong views in this area.
The defence of truth and Honest Opinion are still defences in Ireland are they not? Also Professor Casey has publicly stated that there are no evidence that antidepressants cause homicide and no evidence that antidepressants cause suicide but yet Lundbeck admit it in their Canadian healthcare professional letter.
Scroll up to 5 mins and 36 seconds on this youtube video http://youtu.be/vV7HhfvxHPk and the question is asked about a recent case in the Irish media, which I presume is referring to my son, so am I to take it that Professor Casey is defaming me with her denial?
As for the confidentiality clause at the end of this e-mail…I did not agree to keep this letter confidential and it is my choice not to do so and I take issue with the legaleze language of trying to silence me!" The revised offending articles…Link 1 and Link 2 --Leonie Fennell
Patrica Casey Wikipedia-Patricia Casey is an Irish psychiatrist and conservative activist. She is Professor of Psychiatry at University College Dublin and consultant psychiatrist at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin.[1] She may be best known for her promotion of mental health awareness and for her views on a variety of social issues
"Misrepresentation of data
Casey has been faulted for misrepresenting research data in order to support her position against same-sex marriage and same-sex couple adoption. She has made repeated reference to a parenting study from Uppsala University, Sweden, as a study that shows that "children...do best when raised by their married biological parents,"[18][21] despite the fact that the University and the authors of the report have rejected as invalid Casey's interpretation of their results. They have stated that her claim that children do better when raised by married heterosexuals is "not valid based on our findings... no comparisons were made with gay or lesbian family constellations in the studies included in the review."
Listen to Podcast with Robert Whitaker author of Anatomy of an Epidemic debate Psychiatrist Patricia Casey HERE
"On the 'Today With Pat Kenny' show on RTE Radio 1 on 28 February 2011, Whitaker debates with bio-psychiatrist Patricia Casey, professor of psychiatry at University College Dublin, whether we need to start an open conversation about how to stem the epidemic of disabling mental illness in society and move to a paradigm of care that helps people get well and stay well over the long term."
In support of Leonie, a list of bloggers writing about this story will be updated as I find the articles
Fiddaman Seroxat Sufferers Stand Up and Counted
Psychiatry, It's a Killing blog
If You're Going through hell blog
Friday, June 24, 2011
Seroquel Lawsuit Blog: Dr. Charles Schulz , University of Minnesota, Dan Markingson and the Seroquel CAFE study--the UMN says discussion is over
From the Seroquel Lawsuit Blog, Dr. Charles Schulz , University of Minnesota, Dan Markingson and the Seroquel CAFE study--the UMN says no further discussion, calls Carl Elliott a 'crusader':
"Journalist William Heisel asks University of Minnesota's Dr. Charles Schulz for interview-no reply--PR says no more discussion of Dan Markingson's case, and calls Carl Elliott a crusader against the University and Dr. Charles Schulz.
Schulz, was the principal investigator in the CAFE study of Seroquel, which hangs over the University as a dark cloud, due to the death--suicide--of Dan Markingson. Heisel, in persuit of a more detailed discussion with Schulz, never heard from Dr.Schulz (who is currently overseeing a Seroquel XR trial for Borderline at the UMN), but did receive an email from the public relations department representative. What transpired in that email essentially demotes Carl Elliott, a bioethicist at the University of Minnesota into a one-man crusader against the University and Dr. Schulz. The University has taken a stand now, that no more discussion is necessary regarding the death of Dan Markingson, in fact the UMN is attempting to disconnect the death and the trial, all of it."
Continue reading the Seroquel Lawsuit blog article here.
"Journalist William Heisel asks University of Minnesota's Dr. Charles Schulz for interview-no reply--PR says no more discussion of Dan Markingson's case, and calls Carl Elliott a crusader against the University and Dr. Charles Schulz.
Schulz, was the principal investigator in the CAFE study of Seroquel, which hangs over the University as a dark cloud, due to the death--suicide--of Dan Markingson. Heisel, in persuit of a more detailed discussion with Schulz, never heard from Dr.Schulz (who is currently overseeing a Seroquel XR trial for Borderline at the UMN), but did receive an email from the public relations department representative. What transpired in that email essentially demotes Carl Elliott, a bioethicist at the University of Minnesota into a one-man crusader against the University and Dr. Schulz. The University has taken a stand now, that no more discussion is necessary regarding the death of Dan Markingson, in fact the UMN is attempting to disconnect the death and the trial, all of it."
Continue reading the Seroquel Lawsuit blog article here.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Stuart Kaplan: Your Child Does Not Have Bipolar Disorder
Your Child Does Not Have Bipolar Disorder: How Bad Science and Good Public Relations Created the Diagnosis (Childhood in America)
Book Description:
"From roughly 1994 to 2003, the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents underwent a dramatic, unwarranted increase. In 1995 there were 20,000 outpatient visits for this diagnosis in childhood; by 2003 the number was 800,000. Now, nearly one third of all children and adolescents discharged from psychiatric hospitals have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder."
Excerpt from Newsweek article by Dr. Stuart Kaplan author of Your Child Does Not Have Bipolar Disorder
Mommy am I really Bipolar?
"I have been a child psychiatrist for nearly five decades and have seen diagnostic fads come and go. But I have never witnessed anything like the tidal wave of unwarranted enthusiasm for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children that now engulfs the public and the profession. Before 1995, bipolar disorder, once known as manic-depressive illness, was rarely diagnosed in children; today nearly one third of all children and adolescents discharged from child psychiatric hospitals are diagnosed with the disorder and medicated accordingly. The rise of outpatient office visits for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder increased 40-fold from 20,000 in 1994–95 to 800,000 in 2002–03. A Harvard child-psychiatry group led by Dr. Joseph Biederman, a prominent supporter of the diagnosis, recently insisted, “Juvenile bipolar disorder is a serious illness that is estimated to affect approximately 1 percent to 4 percent of children."
----
Thank you Dr. Kaplan, for telling the story of one similar to my daughter's, misdiagnosed at age 11 in 1999 with Childhood Bipolar Disorder, and over-medicated and now disabled and cognitively impaired as a young adult residing in a rehabilitative facility with my hope of someday being able to speak again and tell everyone else what happened to her.
She's a victim of this atrocity. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Pharma and the pediatric bipolar diagnosis lockstep....
Book Description:
"From roughly 1994 to 2003, the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents underwent a dramatic, unwarranted increase. In 1995 there were 20,000 outpatient visits for this diagnosis in childhood; by 2003 the number was 800,000. Now, nearly one third of all children and adolescents discharged from psychiatric hospitals have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder."
Excerpt from Newsweek article by Dr. Stuart Kaplan author of Your Child Does Not Have Bipolar Disorder
Mommy am I really Bipolar?
"I have been a child psychiatrist for nearly five decades and have seen diagnostic fads come and go. But I have never witnessed anything like the tidal wave of unwarranted enthusiasm for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children that now engulfs the public and the profession. Before 1995, bipolar disorder, once known as manic-depressive illness, was rarely diagnosed in children; today nearly one third of all children and adolescents discharged from child psychiatric hospitals are diagnosed with the disorder and medicated accordingly. The rise of outpatient office visits for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder increased 40-fold from 20,000 in 1994–95 to 800,000 in 2002–03. A Harvard child-psychiatry group led by Dr. Joseph Biederman, a prominent supporter of the diagnosis, recently insisted, “Juvenile bipolar disorder is a serious illness that is estimated to affect approximately 1 percent to 4 percent of children."
----
Thank you Dr. Kaplan, for telling the story of one similar to my daughter's, misdiagnosed at age 11 in 1999 with Childhood Bipolar Disorder, and over-medicated and now disabled and cognitively impaired as a young adult residing in a rehabilitative facility with my hope of someday being able to speak again and tell everyone else what happened to her.
She's a victim of this atrocity. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Pharma and the pediatric bipolar diagnosis lockstep....
Dr.Jon.W Draud- the $200,000 pharma income paid doctor: Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Cephalon
From the Dollars for Docs database at ProPublica one of the top pharma paid psychiatrists is Dr. Jon Draud.
Payment Records
Total Received
$200,075
Payments Received At
Nashville, Tenn.
Records used to add up the total payments for Jon W. Draud
Eli Lilly
2009 Q1-Q4 $74,850
Payee
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
Listed Name
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
City
NASHVILLE
State
TN
Number of activities 43
Healthcare Professional Education Programs 65475.00
Advising/Consulting and International Education Programs 9375.00
Total 74850.00
Eli Lilly
2010 Q1 $46,809
Eli Lilly has since updated its 2010 report, so this healthcare provider's amount may have changed.
Payee
DRAUD, JON W
Listed Name
DRAUD, JON W
City
NASHVILLE
State
TN
Healthcare Professional Education Programs 38450.00
Advising/Consulting and International Education Programs 7000.00
Certain Travel Related Expenses 1359.00
Total 46809.00
AstraZeneca
2010 Q1-Q2 $45,000
Payee
JON DRAUD
Listed Name
Draud, Jon
City
Nashville
State
TN
amount 45000.00
Pfizer
2009 Q3-Q4 $16,566
Payee
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
Listed Name
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
City
NASHVILLE
State
TN
Service/Activity Expert-Led Forums
Cash 15450.00
Role Healthcare Professional
Service/Activity Meals
Non-cash 139.00
Role Healthcare Professional
Service/Activity Business Related Travel
Non-cash 977.00
Role Healthcare Professional
Cephalon
2009 Q1-Q4 $9,050
Payee
Listed Name
Draud, Jon W
City
Nashville
State
TN
title MD
Amount 9050.00
Description Honoraria
Cephalon
2010 Q1-Q2 $7,800
Cephalon has since updated its 2010 report, so this healthcare provider's amount may have changed.
Payee
Listed Name
Draud, Jon W
City
Nashville
State
TN
title MD
Amount 7800.00
Description Honoraria
----
Jon W. Draud is a moderator of CME (Continuing Medical Education)courses, at CME-Treating the Whole Patient.
Draud will be 'faculty' for Mental Health Regional Series for doctors to learn and gain credits. With that kind of pharma income lining his pockets would you want him teaching your doctor about Treatment Resistant Depression? I wonder which drug he'll promote for that.
---
What will happen to doctors like Draud and the CME courses moderated by him and others considering the AMA just proposed no industry ties for CME?
The pdf report:
RECOMMENDATION
"The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs recommends that the following be adopted and the remainder of this report be filed: In an environment of rapidly changing information and emerging technology, physicians must maintain the knowledge, skills, and values central to a healing profession. They must protect the independence and commitment to fidelity and service that define the medical profession. Financial or in-kind support from pharmaceutical, biotechnology or medical device companies that have a direct interest in physicians’ recommendations creates conditions in which external interests could influence the availability and/or content of continuing medical education (CME). Financial relationships between such sources and individual physicians who organize CME, teach in CME, or have other roles in continuing professional education can carry similar potential to influence CME in undesired ways. CME that is independent of funding or in-kind support from sources that have financial interests in physicians’ recommendations promotes confidence in the independence and integrity of professional education, as does CME in which organizers, teachers, and others involved in educating physicians do not have financial relationships with industry that could influence their participation. When possible, CME should be provided without such support or the participation of individuals who have financial interests in the educational subject matter.
In some circumstances, support from industry or participation by individuals who have financial interests in the subject matter may be needed to enable access to appropriate, high-quality CME. In these circumstances, physician-learners should be confident that that vigorous efforts will be made to maintain the independence and integrity of educational activities. Individually and collectively physicians must ensure that the profession independently defines the goals of physician education, determines educational needs, and sets its own priorities for CME.
Physicians who attend CME activities should expect that, in addition to complying with all applicable professional standards for accreditation and certification, their colleagues who organize, teach, or have other roles in CME will:
a) be transparent about financial relationships that could potentially influence educational activities. (b) provide the information physician-learners need to make critical judgments about an educational activity, including: (i) the source(s) and nature of commercial support for the activity; and/or (ii) the source(s) and nature of any individual financial relationships with industry related to the subject matter of the activity; and (iii) what steps have been taken to mitigate the potential influence of financial relationships. (c) protect the independence of educational activities by:(i) ensuring independent, prospective assessment of educational needs and priorities; (ii) adhering to a transparent process for prospectively determining when industry support is needed; (iii) giving preference in selecting faculty or content developers to similarly qualified experts who do not have financial interests in the educational subject matter; (iv) ensuring a transparent process for making decisions about participation by physicians who may have a financial interest in the educational subject matter; (v) permitting individuals who have a substantial financial interest in the educational subject matter to participate in CME only when their participation is central to the success of the educational activity; the activity meets a demonstrated need in the professional community; and the source, nature, and magnitude of the individual’s specific financial interest is disclosed; and (vi) taking steps to mitigate potential influence commensurate with the nature of the financial interest(s) at issue, such as prospective peer review."
Report via retired PSYCHIATRIST, and author of 1 Boring Old Man blog calls this "a start".
Something tells me that doctors with income from pharma such as Dr.Draud might have the most difficult time adjusting to new rules. After all, the most provocative proposal of all would be to completely ban pharmaceutical companies from forking out money to any person, institution, hospital, learning campus, CME course providers, nurses, and doctors, researchers, trial studies....eliminate the pharmaceutical industry from our healthcare and we might finally begin to become healthy as a nation and a population. No need for disease-mongering or creating illness with patent extender drugs such as Seroquel, Effexor and Risperdal--Zyprexa, Prozac, Cymbalta--pain, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, insomnia...the list goes on and on how these drugs are re-marketed for use, often with adjusted names and labels, and the product keeps on trucking bank for pharma companies.
America does not have a mental illness crisis, America has a pharmaceutical industry take over crisis, and it's time to get back to the root of the problem, and that is not for people to explore their life situations from the bottom of a pill bottle.
Payment Records
Total Received
$200,075
Payments Received At
Nashville, Tenn.
Records used to add up the total payments for Jon W. Draud
Eli Lilly
2009 Q1-Q4 $74,850
Payee
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
Listed Name
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
City
NASHVILLE
State
TN
Number of activities 43
Healthcare Professional Education Programs 65475.00
Advising/Consulting and International Education Programs 9375.00
Total 74850.00
Eli Lilly
2010 Q1 $46,809
Eli Lilly has since updated its 2010 report, so this healthcare provider's amount may have changed.
Payee
DRAUD, JON W
Listed Name
DRAUD, JON W
City
NASHVILLE
State
TN
Healthcare Professional Education Programs 38450.00
Advising/Consulting and International Education Programs 7000.00
Certain Travel Related Expenses 1359.00
Total 46809.00
AstraZeneca
2010 Q1-Q2 $45,000
Payee
JON DRAUD
Listed Name
Draud, Jon
City
Nashville
State
TN
amount 45000.00
Pfizer
2009 Q3-Q4 $16,566
Payee
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
Listed Name
DRAUD, JON WINSTON
City
NASHVILLE
State
TN
Service/Activity Expert-Led Forums
Cash 15450.00
Role Healthcare Professional
Service/Activity Meals
Non-cash 139.00
Role Healthcare Professional
Service/Activity Business Related Travel
Non-cash 977.00
Role Healthcare Professional
Cephalon
2009 Q1-Q4 $9,050
Payee
Listed Name
Draud, Jon W
City
Nashville
State
TN
title MD
Amount 9050.00
Description Honoraria
Cephalon
2010 Q1-Q2 $7,800
Cephalon has since updated its 2010 report, so this healthcare provider's amount may have changed.
Payee
Listed Name
Draud, Jon W
City
Nashville
State
TN
title MD
Amount 7800.00
Description Honoraria
----
Jon W. Draud is a moderator of CME (Continuing Medical Education)courses, at CME-Treating the Whole Patient.
Draud will be 'faculty' for Mental Health Regional Series for doctors to learn and gain credits. With that kind of pharma income lining his pockets would you want him teaching your doctor about Treatment Resistant Depression? I wonder which drug he'll promote for that.
---
What will happen to doctors like Draud and the CME courses moderated by him and others considering the AMA just proposed no industry ties for CME?
The pdf report:
RECOMMENDATION
"The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs recommends that the following be adopted and the remainder of this report be filed: In an environment of rapidly changing information and emerging technology, physicians must maintain the knowledge, skills, and values central to a healing profession. They must protect the independence and commitment to fidelity and service that define the medical profession. Financial or in-kind support from pharmaceutical, biotechnology or medical device companies that have a direct interest in physicians’ recommendations creates conditions in which external interests could influence the availability and/or content of continuing medical education (CME). Financial relationships between such sources and individual physicians who organize CME, teach in CME, or have other roles in continuing professional education can carry similar potential to influence CME in undesired ways. CME that is independent of funding or in-kind support from sources that have financial interests in physicians’ recommendations promotes confidence in the independence and integrity of professional education, as does CME in which organizers, teachers, and others involved in educating physicians do not have financial relationships with industry that could influence their participation. When possible, CME should be provided without such support or the participation of individuals who have financial interests in the educational subject matter.
In some circumstances, support from industry or participation by individuals who have financial interests in the subject matter may be needed to enable access to appropriate, high-quality CME. In these circumstances, physician-learners should be confident that that vigorous efforts will be made to maintain the independence and integrity of educational activities. Individually and collectively physicians must ensure that the profession independently defines the goals of physician education, determines educational needs, and sets its own priorities for CME.
Physicians who attend CME activities should expect that, in addition to complying with all applicable professional standards for accreditation and certification, their colleagues who organize, teach, or have other roles in CME will:
a) be transparent about financial relationships that could potentially influence educational activities. (b) provide the information physician-learners need to make critical judgments about an educational activity, including: (i) the source(s) and nature of commercial support for the activity; and/or (ii) the source(s) and nature of any individual financial relationships with industry related to the subject matter of the activity; and (iii) what steps have been taken to mitigate the potential influence of financial relationships. (c) protect the independence of educational activities by:(i) ensuring independent, prospective assessment of educational needs and priorities; (ii) adhering to a transparent process for prospectively determining when industry support is needed; (iii) giving preference in selecting faculty or content developers to similarly qualified experts who do not have financial interests in the educational subject matter; (iv) ensuring a transparent process for making decisions about participation by physicians who may have a financial interest in the educational subject matter; (v) permitting individuals who have a substantial financial interest in the educational subject matter to participate in CME only when their participation is central to the success of the educational activity; the activity meets a demonstrated need in the professional community; and the source, nature, and magnitude of the individual’s specific financial interest is disclosed; and (vi) taking steps to mitigate potential influence commensurate with the nature of the financial interest(s) at issue, such as prospective peer review."
Report via retired PSYCHIATRIST, and author of 1 Boring Old Man blog calls this "a start".
Something tells me that doctors with income from pharma such as Dr.Draud might have the most difficult time adjusting to new rules. After all, the most provocative proposal of all would be to completely ban pharmaceutical companies from forking out money to any person, institution, hospital, learning campus, CME course providers, nurses, and doctors, researchers, trial studies....eliminate the pharmaceutical industry from our healthcare and we might finally begin to become healthy as a nation and a population. No need for disease-mongering or creating illness with patent extender drugs such as Seroquel, Effexor and Risperdal--Zyprexa, Prozac, Cymbalta--pain, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, insomnia...the list goes on and on how these drugs are re-marketed for use, often with adjusted names and labels, and the product keeps on trucking bank for pharma companies.
America does not have a mental illness crisis, America has a pharmaceutical industry take over crisis, and it's time to get back to the root of the problem, and that is not for people to explore their life situations from the bottom of a pill bottle.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
"He wasn't on an antidepressant, he just took Neurontin" -- for treatment of pain
VIA OpEdNews: Martha Rosenberg
Two women speak out about the use of Pfizer's Neurontin and the possible connection to their husbands deaths from the psychiatric side effects the drug can induce.
One woman speaks about her husband, a doctor.
""We didn't know his extreme internal restlessness was akathesia, which is linked to suicide in medical journals, or that it was from Neurontin," says Debbie. In his last, dark days, Doug drove for miles "searching for a knife to end his life," buying one at a nearby hardware store and another at a culinary store hours away. On Palm Sunday, April 13, 2003, in an apartment he had rented away from his family, Doug died of multiple, self-inflicted stab wounds to the chest. He was 52."
AND another woman's husband, a doctor
"Doug was a conservative prescriber and grilled his Pfizer rep about Neurontin's safety more than once, says Robin. He was so attuned to his responses to medications, when he took Vioxx before its dangers were known, he noted heart palpitations -- and discontinued its use. A week later, Vioxx was pulled from pharmacy shelves for causing heart problems in some patients. But thanks to Neurontin-caused akathesia, Doug's ability to detect his own mental changes on the drug disappeared. "He did not know his suicidal thoughts were drug-induced and not his own," she says.
On Christmas day, 2004, after opening presents, Doug urged Robin and the boys to go to a movie. Hesitant to separate on a holiday at first, Robin says she remembered an "Oprah" show about how men should get the chance to be alone in the house, to unwind, like women have, so the three went see Meet the Fockers. When they returned, they found Doug hanging in the foyer. He had been on Neurontin for 10 months. He was 54.
Like Debbie Alsberge, Robin Briggs's "aha" moment came later. Two weeks after Doug's funeral, a distraught patient literally drove up on the Briggs' lawn saying he couldn't accept the uncharacteristic suicide and demanded to know what antidepressant Dr. Briggs was on, says Robin. Even though she had been asked the question countless times, responding, "He wasn't on an antidepressant, he just took Neurontin," this time Robin says a light bulb went off in her head and she ran upstairs to the medicine cabinet to read the Neurontin patient information for the first time."
READ the entire article HERE
Further background reading on Pfizer's Neurontin
April 20, 2008-Neurontin vs.Placebo for Bipolar Disorder :Placebo wins soulful sepulcher blog
Internal documents
Manuscript-Neurontin Treatment of Pain Internal Documents:marketing and data mining of patient information
Manuscript-Neurontin Treatment of Pain Internal Documents-1996Title: [Letter from Jacki Gordon to Phil Magistro regarding status of manuscripts]Document Date: 19961108Author: Gordon, JackiCorporate Author: AMM Adelphi LimitedManuscript Neurontin Treatment of Pain Invoice Internal Document--1996 --PFD format.
---
Again, more victims of behind the scenes marketing planning from pharmaceutical companies resulting in grave harm to patients.
Hat tip to PHARMAGOSSIP for Martha Rosenberg article.
Two women speak out about the use of Pfizer's Neurontin and the possible connection to their husbands deaths from the psychiatric side effects the drug can induce.
One woman speaks about her husband, a doctor.
""We didn't know his extreme internal restlessness was akathesia, which is linked to suicide in medical journals, or that it was from Neurontin," says Debbie. In his last, dark days, Doug drove for miles "searching for a knife to end his life," buying one at a nearby hardware store and another at a culinary store hours away. On Palm Sunday, April 13, 2003, in an apartment he had rented away from his family, Doug died of multiple, self-inflicted stab wounds to the chest. He was 52."
AND another woman's husband, a doctor
"Doug was a conservative prescriber and grilled his Pfizer rep about Neurontin's safety more than once, says Robin. He was so attuned to his responses to medications, when he took Vioxx before its dangers were known, he noted heart palpitations -- and discontinued its use. A week later, Vioxx was pulled from pharmacy shelves for causing heart problems in some patients. But thanks to Neurontin-caused akathesia, Doug's ability to detect his own mental changes on the drug disappeared. "He did not know his suicidal thoughts were drug-induced and not his own," she says.
On Christmas day, 2004, after opening presents, Doug urged Robin and the boys to go to a movie. Hesitant to separate on a holiday at first, Robin says she remembered an "Oprah" show about how men should get the chance to be alone in the house, to unwind, like women have, so the three went see Meet the Fockers. When they returned, they found Doug hanging in the foyer. He had been on Neurontin for 10 months. He was 54.
Like Debbie Alsberge, Robin Briggs's "aha" moment came later. Two weeks after Doug's funeral, a distraught patient literally drove up on the Briggs' lawn saying he couldn't accept the uncharacteristic suicide and demanded to know what antidepressant Dr. Briggs was on, says Robin. Even though she had been asked the question countless times, responding, "He wasn't on an antidepressant, he just took Neurontin," this time Robin says a light bulb went off in her head and she ran upstairs to the medicine cabinet to read the Neurontin patient information for the first time."
READ the entire article HERE
Further background reading on Pfizer's Neurontin
April 20, 2008-Neurontin vs.Placebo for Bipolar Disorder :Placebo wins soulful sepulcher blog
Internal documents
Manuscript-Neurontin Treatment of Pain Internal Documents:marketing and data mining of patient information
Manuscript-Neurontin Treatment of Pain Internal Documents-1996Title: [Letter from Jacki Gordon to Phil Magistro regarding status of manuscripts]Document Date: 19961108Author: Gordon, JackiCorporate Author: AMM Adelphi LimitedManuscript Neurontin Treatment of Pain Invoice Internal Document--1996 --PFD format.
---
Again, more victims of behind the scenes marketing planning from pharmaceutical companies resulting in grave harm to patients.
Hat tip to PHARMAGOSSIP for Martha Rosenberg article.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
how the phoenix rise
you deal with the loss or event and you brush off the dirt from your face, stand up and walk forward. toleration of difference of living styles and noise (for me from the home gone in the woods to apartment life is loud, and then louder) you get used to doing laundry with others. those are insignificant little things compared to the future. i'm grasping it the best i can and this week am in college entrance process to begin a new career at age 51. today i supported my daughter (patience is a virtue category) and she got ready to go out in about 90 minutes. she handled the grocery store fine and she carried the list of spaghetti ingredients, and pointed to her choice of ice cream. i doubted my ability to rise up from the ashes for a long time and had to shove the negative words out of my head and replace them with
succeed
success
accomplishment
goal
the hassle is worth the tassle
you can do it
you've come this far you can finish
finish
complete a goal
success
i will succeed.
i will do this.
i am doing this.
succeed
success
accomplishment
goal
the hassle is worth the tassle
you can do it
you've come this far you can finish
finish
complete a goal
success
i will succeed.
i will do this.
i am doing this.
U.K. Psychiatrist struck off medical register for serious misconduct reinvents career in the U.S.: Tonmoy Sharma
Tonmoy Sharma as written about in this 2008 article was a "psychiatrist who regularly appeared as an expert on the BBC has been struck off the medical register after he lied about his academic qualifications and performed unethical drugs tests on mentally ill patients".
"..was found to have acted unprofessionally in relation to five major studies between 1997 and 2003, involving four leading pharmaceutical companies including Eli Lilly and the Janssen Research Foundation.
He also misled the companies when he chose to use identical patients in different studies, subjecting them to MRI scans and tests that had not been approved by an ethics committee. In 2003, he recruited mental health patients in unsolicited telephone calls and without consent from their doctors. He then failed to give them proper information about the trials - one schizophrenic was simply handed a leaflet."
Sharma reinvented himself in the U.S. via a drug rehabilitation facility in San Clemente, CA.
Update on Tonroy Sharma today at Pharmagossip has me shaking my head in disbelief, regarding how such blatent disregard for human beings by people who care for the most vulnerable in society--are able to position themselves with pharmaceutical companies in drug trials, research and ultimately in direct care of patients themselves.
Patients in such vulnerable conditions such as mental health and rehab needs are not often able to do a quick background search on their care providers and in this case...one is needed in my opinion. Stories like these fuel my skepticism of the entire psychiatry industry.
Update found via Pharmagossip blog
Captain Larry Smith sits with Dr. Tonmoy Sharma of Sovereign Health Recovery Center to discuss the effects of addiction on the brain.
http://www.beachcitiesradio.com/on-air/tuesday/the-boarding-pass
http://articles.ocregister.com/2010-08-20/news/24644891_1_medical-license-mentally-ill-patients-general-medical-council
"..was found to have acted unprofessionally in relation to five major studies between 1997 and 2003, involving four leading pharmaceutical companies including Eli Lilly and the Janssen Research Foundation.
He also misled the companies when he chose to use identical patients in different studies, subjecting them to MRI scans and tests that had not been approved by an ethics committee. In 2003, he recruited mental health patients in unsolicited telephone calls and without consent from their doctors. He then failed to give them proper information about the trials - one schizophrenic was simply handed a leaflet."
Sharma reinvented himself in the U.S. via a drug rehabilitation facility in San Clemente, CA.
Update on Tonroy Sharma today at Pharmagossip has me shaking my head in disbelief, regarding how such blatent disregard for human beings by people who care for the most vulnerable in society--are able to position themselves with pharmaceutical companies in drug trials, research and ultimately in direct care of patients themselves.
Patients in such vulnerable conditions such as mental health and rehab needs are not often able to do a quick background search on their care providers and in this case...one is needed in my opinion. Stories like these fuel my skepticism of the entire psychiatry industry.
Update found via Pharmagossip blog
Captain Larry Smith sits with Dr. Tonmoy Sharma of Sovereign Health Recovery Center to discuss the effects of addiction on the brain.
http://www.beachcitiesradio.com/on-air/tuesday/the-boarding-pass
Peter Jay, chief executive of a British private investigative agency that focuses on reducing fraud in clinical trials, said he was surprised and disappointed that Sharma was running a treatment facility, even if his role is purely administrative."I don't have a problem with people who do wrong in their life and rehabilitate and start doing right," said Jay of MedicoLegal Investigations Ltd. "But what he did showed a totally outrageous disregard for people, a total disrespect for sick people."MedicoLegal was hired to investigate Sharma by Sanofi-Aventis, a pharmaceutical company that contracted Sharma to conduct research studies in 1999."He should not be allowed anywhere near (patients) under any circumstances," Jay said in an e-mail to The Register
http://articles.ocregister.com/2010-08-20/news/24644891_1_medical-license-mentally-ill-patients-general-medical-council
Monday, June 20, 2011
2011 Dosie Awards Popular vote begins
Dosie awards from Dose of Digital's Jonathan Richman--the 2nd annual Dosie Awards are up for votes!
There are many categories and you can choose to vote in one or all categories.
"For the 2011 Dosie Awards, there will be a People’s Choice winner in each category. This People’s Choice winner and runner up will be determined entirely based on popular voting. There will also be gold, silver, and bronze winners in each category. These will be determined by the voting of a large panel of judges."
"The categories for this year are the same as last year. Here’s the list":
•Brand-Sponsored Patient Community (Communities created by a pharma or healthcare company for a brand or corporate effort)
•Patient Community – Non-Brand Controlled (Communities created with no direct affiliation to a pharma or healthcare company)
•Healthcare Professional Community (Communities exclusive to healthcare professionals)
•Facebook Page (All pharma and healthcare Facebook pages and apps whether corporate-sponsored or not)
•YouTube Channel (Pharma and healthcare company YouTube pages or videos including corporate and brand specific efforts)
•Twitter Feed (Pharma and healthcare companies using Twitter at a corporate or brand level)
Company Blog (Pharma and healthcare company created blogs at the corporate or brand level)
•Patient or Caregiver Blog (Blogs created by patients or caregivers, not owned by a pharma or healthcare company)
•Industry Observer Blog (Blogs created by industry observers and commentators…like Dose of Digital)
•Pharma Company of the Year in Social Media
--------------
My blog is listed in the Patient/Caregiver blog list (not owned by a pharma or healthcare company)
Please vote for this blog if so inclined! make sure to read the list it hosts LOTS of blogs and sites, some you'll recognize (like Pharmagossip!)it's a great resource list, besides a voting survey!
Thanks!
There are many categories and you can choose to vote in one or all categories.
"For the 2011 Dosie Awards, there will be a People’s Choice winner in each category. This People’s Choice winner and runner up will be determined entirely based on popular voting. There will also be gold, silver, and bronze winners in each category. These will be determined by the voting of a large panel of judges."
"The categories for this year are the same as last year. Here’s the list":
•Brand-Sponsored Patient Community (Communities created by a pharma or healthcare company for a brand or corporate effort)
•Patient Community – Non-Brand Controlled (Communities created with no direct affiliation to a pharma or healthcare company)
•Healthcare Professional Community (Communities exclusive to healthcare professionals)
•Facebook Page (All pharma and healthcare Facebook pages and apps whether corporate-sponsored or not)
•YouTube Channel (Pharma and healthcare company YouTube pages or videos including corporate and brand specific efforts)
•Twitter Feed (Pharma and healthcare companies using Twitter at a corporate or brand level)
Company Blog (Pharma and healthcare company created blogs at the corporate or brand level)
•Patient or Caregiver Blog (Blogs created by patients or caregivers, not owned by a pharma or healthcare company)
•Industry Observer Blog (Blogs created by industry observers and commentators…like Dose of Digital)
•Pharma Company of the Year in Social Media
--------------
My blog is listed in the Patient/Caregiver blog list (not owned by a pharma or healthcare company)
Please vote for this blog if so inclined! make sure to read the list it hosts LOTS of blogs and sites, some you'll recognize (like Pharmagossip!)it's a great resource list, besides a voting survey!
Thanks!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Psych Out 2011 Conference: Robert Whitaker, Jim Gottstein speak -- FREE to attend in NYC
Psych Out 2011:
In remembrance of Esmin Green Candle Light Vigil June 19, Conference June 20-21.
Esmin Green Died in 2008
On the hospital floor after being ignored by health care professionals at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. She was involuntarily to the hospital for agitation and psychosis, and was ignored, left to die alone on the floor.
It is time for a revolution, it is time for dignity restoration, for advocates to be assigned from outside agencies, time for choices in treatment other than medication, time for inpatients to be given choices for care other than mandatory medication compliance upon discharge.
It is time for people like my daughter to have a voice in this world. It is time for people like my daughter to stop being transported by gurney 5 point restraints.
It is time for people like my daughter to stop being left alone in ERs until family arrives. It is time for ERs to stop having police with guns (armed police) guard locked ER side rooms when people like my daughter are there for evals.
It is time for people like my daughter to have dignity and for my daughter, a place in this world that is no longer held in discriminatory minds---the photo is of a gurney that transported her to mental health court a few years ago.
The most vulnerable citizens in their time of need are often treated like second class citizens.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Something stinks: another Johnson and Johnson recall: ANTIPSYCHOTIC RISPERDAL
via 4-traders:
JOHNSON & JOHNSON : Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls One Lot of RISPERDAL® Tablets and One Lot of Risperidone Tablets
TITUSVILLE, N.J., June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of one lot of RISPERDAL® (risperidone) 3mg Tablets, marketed by Janssen Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and one lot of risperidone 2mg Tablets, marketed by Patriot Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The recalls stem from two consumer reports of an uncharacteristic odor thought to be caused by trace amounts of TBA (2,4,6 tribromoanisole).
TBA is a byproduct of a chemical preservative sometimes applied to wood often used in the construction of pallets on which materials are transported and stored. In January 2010, the company instituted a number of actions to reduce the potential of TBA contamination, including requiring suppliers to certify that they do not use pallets made from chemically-treated wood."
JOHNSON & JOHNSON : Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls One Lot of RISPERDAL® Tablets and One Lot of Risperidone Tablets
TITUSVILLE, N.J., June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of one lot of RISPERDAL® (risperidone) 3mg Tablets, marketed by Janssen Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and one lot of risperidone 2mg Tablets, marketed by Patriot Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The recalls stem from two consumer reports of an uncharacteristic odor thought to be caused by trace amounts of TBA (2,4,6 tribromoanisole).
TBA is a byproduct of a chemical preservative sometimes applied to wood often used in the construction of pallets on which materials are transported and stored. In January 2010, the company instituted a number of actions to reduce the potential of TBA contamination, including requiring suppliers to certify that they do not use pallets made from chemically-treated wood."
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Seroquel Lawsuit Blog: The Seven Year Itch: Seroquel used as a sleep aid in 2004, continues 7 yrs later
From the new information and support blog:Seroquel Lawsuit Blog-7 year Itch-Seroquel for insomnia in 2004 and continues into 2011.
Pfizer's Trial in a Box: Have you heard about that? I asked Craig Lipset from Pfizer
There has been a lot of recent attention being paid to Pfizer's "Trial in a Box".
I had the opportunity to ask Craig Lipset a few questions about the trial, where patients record data at home vs. in a clinical research setting.
The drug being trialed is already approved for OAB (Over Active Bladder).
My questions: (via Twitter)
1. so the trial is based on what phase of the trial?
Craig Lipset:
"This pilot is technically ph 4. But we are reproducing earlier phase studies to prove the methodology. It's really a method study."
2. how are the patients monitored 24/7? what technology?
Craig Lipset:
"We are actively monitoring safety in a continuous, real-time manner. Pts are connected to us 24/7."
3. What about a medical emergency, would that be anticipated? what would protocol be?
Craig Lipset:
"We would want ANY clinical trial participant going to the ER to notify their investigator site & bring study contact info."
4. curious what the ER staff would need to know abt the possible drug interaction? bring info with?
Craig Lipset:
"Perhaps less surprises on AEs with an approved drug. We are collected AEs diff from most studies (ongoing, continuous, real-time)."
More from Lipset
"We are looking for around 600 women to enter the screening phase of the study (for a 200-300 to randomize)."
"Pts are connected to us 24x7. Round the clock access to the central investigators online and by phone."
"I'm particularly excited about our sharing data and results with patients (incl sending their clinical trial data back via PHR)."
"In many ways this exceeds the cyclical visit-based monitoring in conventional studies."
-----
Craig Lipset "At Pfizer I am responsible for initiatives in Molecular Medicine to advance personalized therapies, as well as in eHealth leveraging technologies to improve patient engagement in clinical research."
Thanks to Craig Lipset for answering my questions.
I had the opportunity to ask Craig Lipset a few questions about the trial, where patients record data at home vs. in a clinical research setting.
The drug being trialed is already approved for OAB (Over Active Bladder).
My questions: (via Twitter)
1. so the trial is based on what phase of the trial?
Craig Lipset:
"This pilot is technically ph 4. But we are reproducing earlier phase studies to prove the methodology. It's really a method study."
2. how are the patients monitored 24/7? what technology?
Craig Lipset:
"We are actively monitoring safety in a continuous, real-time manner. Pts are connected to us 24/7."
3. What about a medical emergency, would that be anticipated? what would protocol be?
Craig Lipset:
"We would want ANY clinical trial participant going to the ER to notify their investigator site & bring study contact info."
4. curious what the ER staff would need to know abt the possible drug interaction? bring info with?
Craig Lipset:
"Perhaps less surprises on AEs with an approved drug. We are collected AEs diff from most studies (ongoing, continuous, real-time)."
More from Lipset
"We are looking for around 600 women to enter the screening phase of the study (for a 200-300 to randomize)."
"Pts are connected to us 24x7. Round the clock access to the central investigators online and by phone."
"I'm particularly excited about our sharing data and results with patients (incl sending their clinical trial data back via PHR)."
"In many ways this exceeds the cyclical visit-based monitoring in conventional studies."
-----
Craig Lipset "At Pfizer I am responsible for initiatives in Molecular Medicine to advance personalized therapies, as well as in eHealth leveraging technologies to improve patient engagement in clinical research."
Thanks to Craig Lipset for answering my questions.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Alison Bass discusses Pfizer's multi-million dollar partnership with Boston area hospitals,med schools & Universities
sunshine award
Many thanks to my blog buddies and friends Herrad and Mark for awarding me with the Sunshine Award! thanks you guys, that's awesome!
Sunshine Award Rules:
1- Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
2- Tell us something about yourself. *I love avocados
3 -Nominate 10 other bloggers.
4 -And let them know you awarded
Now I'm passing it on
http://reginaholliday.blogspot.com/ Regina Holliday
http://thoughtbroadcast.com/ Dr.Balt
http://1boringoldman.com/ the great retired psychiatrist
http://bipolar-stanscroniclesandnarritive.blogspot.com/ Stan
http://davidbransford.com/ Dr.Bransford
http://fiddaman.blogspot.com/ Fid
http://leoniefennell.wordpress.com/ Leonie
http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/ the great PharmaGossip
http://pharmastrategyblog.com/icarus-consultants.html Sally Church
http://loathingbioethics.blogspot.com/ Fear and Loathing in Bioethics
Enjoy reading that great list of blogs by people who bring sunshine into the world by being who they are, and I appreciate them!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Seroquel Lawsuit Blog: AstraZeneca Seroquel Litigation - is the civil settlement real or just another rip off
Today's post over at the new information and support for Seroquel victims BLOG, a quote from a plaintiff's letter promising the information packet regarding the Seroquel diabetes lawsuit settlement. The plaintiffs have yet to see any cash compensation or offer, though the settlement was reported last August 2010.
March 7, 2011
Saiontz and Kirk
..."it is our understanding that values on client's cases have not been fully determined at this time and that a settlement packet, which will include the amount of the offer, will be sent to you, hopefully, in the next three weeks."
It appears that 3 weeks is long gone, that was March 2011 and now it's June 2011.
Go take a look at the Seroquel Lawsuit Blog and leave a comment if you took Seroquel and gained weight, had increased lipids, became diabetic, had withdrawals when stopping use, or any other story you'd like to share.
The antipsychotic is being prescribed in record numbers off-label for insomnia and other problems not approved by the FDA, which means the chances of more injured people increase.
March 7, 2011
Saiontz and Kirk
..."it is our understanding that values on client's cases have not been fully determined at this time and that a settlement packet, which will include the amount of the offer, will be sent to you, hopefully, in the next three weeks."
It appears that 3 weeks is long gone, that was March 2011 and now it's June 2011.
Go take a look at the Seroquel Lawsuit Blog and leave a comment if you took Seroquel and gained weight, had increased lipids, became diabetic, had withdrawals when stopping use, or any other story you'd like to share.
The antipsychotic is being prescribed in record numbers off-label for insomnia and other problems not approved by the FDA, which means the chances of more injured people increase.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Top 50 Largest Pharma Companies ranked by global prescription sales in billions
Top 50 Pharma Companies based on global prescription sales in billions for 2010
1.Pfizer $58.5 billion
2.Novartis $42 billion
3.Sanofi-Aventis $40.3
4.Merck $39.8
5.Roche $39.1
6.GlaxoSmithKline $36.2
7.AstraZeneca $33.3
8.Johnson and Johnson $22.4
9.Eli Lilly $21.1
10.Abbott $19.9
Read the entire list here at the 12th Annual Pharm Exec Top 50.
1.Pfizer $58.5 billion
2.Novartis $42 billion
3.Sanofi-Aventis $40.3
4.Merck $39.8
5.Roche $39.1
6.GlaxoSmithKline $36.2
7.AstraZeneca $33.3
8.Johnson and Johnson $22.4
9.Eli Lilly $21.1
10.Abbott $19.9
Read the entire list here at the 12th Annual Pharm Exec Top 50.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
1999 -- this --at same time the nightmare started here
"So in 1999, the idea to let experts vote was guaranteed to get the desired algorithm. The drug companies only had to keep the dream alive.
What we didn’t know in 1999 [at least I didn't know] was that every Physician listed in this post so far [except yours truly] was in some way compromised by having financial connections with one or usually more of the pharmaceutical companies that manufactured these drugs [including many of the 57 experts]; that every study used to get these drugs approved by the FDA had significant methodological inconsistencies; that there were a number of unreported studies that contradicted the good news about the Atypical Antipsychotics; that our literature was flooded with ghost-written articles full of manipulated scientific information; in short, that the great wave of evidence-based medicine in 1999 was an illusion, actively created by the pharmaceutical industry, with willing participation by the upper echelons of academic and organized psychiatry."
I only wish it was an illusion.
From 1 Boring Old Man blog, authored by a retired psychiatrist.
"evidence-based medicine in 1999 was an illusion, actively created by the pharmaceutical industry."
What we didn’t know in 1999 [at least I didn't know] was that every Physician listed in this post so far [except yours truly] was in some way compromised by having financial connections with one or usually more of the pharmaceutical companies that manufactured these drugs [including many of the 57 experts]; that every study used to get these drugs approved by the FDA had significant methodological inconsistencies; that there were a number of unreported studies that contradicted the good news about the Atypical Antipsychotics; that our literature was flooded with ghost-written articles full of manipulated scientific information; in short, that the great wave of evidence-based medicine in 1999 was an illusion, actively created by the pharmaceutical industry, with willing participation by the upper echelons of academic and organized psychiatry."
I only wish it was an illusion.
From 1 Boring Old Man blog, authored by a retired psychiatrist.
"evidence-based medicine in 1999 was an illusion, actively created by the pharmaceutical industry."
"We don't know why it works, it just does", one phrase a psychiatrist said to me in 1999: never talked about damage to come, weight gain: Depakote
Many mental health patients are told to take their medications with blind trust because "we don't know why they work, they just do". This was told to me in 1999 when my daughter had a psychotic reaction to a bed wetting pill--unknown to me then it was an antidepressant. The doctor who was her inpatient psychiatrist called me at home to tell me he had switched the antipsychotic Risperdal to Zyprexa and added Depakote.
Now that I know what I do, and have been down the road with my daughter over a decade to witness body damage from all of those drugs, a tragic loss of her cognitive ability and quality of life--those drugs are gone, as with the original and "popular" diagnosis of the day--Peditric Bipolar Disorder.
The doctor prescribed those drugs to an 11 year old, no informed consent to her or her family. She gained weight, (over 100 lbs)her body and her life changed. Forever.
Other kids in school on Depakote recognized each other sadly, calling their stomachs large from the "Depakote Bloat".
Her blood work always had a liver function test from that drug and after 4 solid years of taking 1500 mg of Abbott's Depakote a day, she was left with permanent damage of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
I still read other blogs and places where patients own that phrase, "don't know why it works, it just does", and wonder if they ever ask themselves to seriously stop and consider that phrase. Because, they do constant medication changes in quest of feeling better, and hang onto that phrase as almost a justification for trying something new. It's a flimsy excuse for promoting medications by doctors, not evidence-based and sheer quackery to say it.
Good luck with the "don't know why it works" game, I hope people don't end up disabled as a result of that dangerous paradigm.
Drug rep blows the whistle on ABBOTT for illegal marketing of the epilepsy drug Depakote for off-label use.
Giving my then 11 year old Depakote for a wrong diagnosis was off-label use. It was also the popular drug combo in teens back then to have "one mood-stabilzer, Depakote", one antipsychotic, Zyprexa, and one antidepressant, Zoloft". PLUS a PRN that was typically Ativan.
Now that I know what I do, and have been down the road with my daughter over a decade to witness body damage from all of those drugs, a tragic loss of her cognitive ability and quality of life--those drugs are gone, as with the original and "popular" diagnosis of the day--Peditric Bipolar Disorder.
The doctor prescribed those drugs to an 11 year old, no informed consent to her or her family. She gained weight, (over 100 lbs)her body and her life changed. Forever.
Other kids in school on Depakote recognized each other sadly, calling their stomachs large from the "Depakote Bloat".
Her blood work always had a liver function test from that drug and after 4 solid years of taking 1500 mg of Abbott's Depakote a day, she was left with permanent damage of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
I still read other blogs and places where patients own that phrase, "don't know why it works, it just does", and wonder if they ever ask themselves to seriously stop and consider that phrase. Because, they do constant medication changes in quest of feeling better, and hang onto that phrase as almost a justification for trying something new. It's a flimsy excuse for promoting medications by doctors, not evidence-based and sheer quackery to say it.
Good luck with the "don't know why it works" game, I hope people don't end up disabled as a result of that dangerous paradigm.
Drug rep blows the whistle on ABBOTT for illegal marketing of the epilepsy drug Depakote for off-label use.
Giving my then 11 year old Depakote for a wrong diagnosis was off-label use. It was also the popular drug combo in teens back then to have "one mood-stabilzer, Depakote", one antipsychotic, Zyprexa, and one antidepressant, Zoloft". PLUS a PRN that was typically Ativan.
Quattron make the support cushions, Herrad has been waiting since APRIL 2 ! Agis approved it, now Quattron causes longer delays
The Netherlands insurance company AGIS responded to letters of complaint regarding Herrad's much needed support cushions, and now the supplier, Quattron gives Herrad, a bed-bound MS sufferer the run around on the phone not giving her answers on just when the cushions would be completed and delivered.
Herrad was told she would receive a call from Quattron after Agis contacted them. (the communication between insurance, AGIS and cushion maker Quattron lacks, and as a result Herrad, the one laying in bed in need suffered the fall-out and continues to suffer) The call never happened.
Here's what Herrad wrote today, after her and Richie, her husband and carer recently went outside to the market, had a accident in the wheelchair in which Herrad fell out into the street, both are quite shaken up. The company that repairs the wheelchair came and fixed the bent tray immediately.
In Herrad's words
"What a week, tumbling out of the wheelchair, that has shaken us both up alot, guess we will have to get over our shock and get back outside.
Then getting calls from Agis, out health insurance Company, because of letters of complaint received, unhappy that I have been waiting for the support cushions since February.
Agis called Quattron, the supplier, who told them they would call me on Thursday to make an appointment to deliver the cushions.
They did not, when I called them on Friday, they denied that they had agreed to call me; they could tell me nothing, nor would they give me an appointment.
Then I received an e-mail from Johanneke, my occupational therapist, informing me that Quattron had called her and told her they would deliver on 24th June.
Amazing they could call her, but not me, not even an e –mail, once the support cushions are here I hope that I no longer have to deal with them.
They seem to not care about their customers, at least that is the impression they have given me, this was amplified by the total disinterest of whoever I spoke to on Friday at Quattron.
Welzorg on the other hand were great, they sent someone out on Friday afternoon, who straightened the bent support for the wheelchair, which meant I can use the wheelchair.
Brilliant response from Welzorg, I was very happy to thank them for their help, support, they really impressed me, not so Quattron, I hope they become more customer orientated soon."
Yes, indeed.
In fact, Quattron and Agis need to send representatives with the cushions to Herrad's home and give her an in person apology, and make that before June 24, 2011.
Herrad is one example of the world wide problem of the lack of patient-centered care in the healthcare system. Patients should not have to rely heavily upon themselves to advocate the way Herrad has done, in their fragile physical time of need.
In fact, Herrad's voice is ALL she has left that works, and thankfully she can speak! She has friends around the world advocating for these cushions and she still doesn't have them.
Time is of the essence Quattron, shame on you and Agis for allowing this to progress this way.
Herrad was told she would receive a call from Quattron after Agis contacted them. (the communication between insurance, AGIS and cushion maker Quattron lacks, and as a result Herrad, the one laying in bed in need suffered the fall-out and continues to suffer) The call never happened.
Here's what Herrad wrote today, after her and Richie, her husband and carer recently went outside to the market, had a accident in the wheelchair in which Herrad fell out into the street, both are quite shaken up. The company that repairs the wheelchair came and fixed the bent tray immediately.
In Herrad's words
"What a week, tumbling out of the wheelchair, that has shaken us both up alot, guess we will have to get over our shock and get back outside.
Then getting calls from Agis, out health insurance Company, because of letters of complaint received, unhappy that I have been waiting for the support cushions since February.
Agis called Quattron, the supplier, who told them they would call me on Thursday to make an appointment to deliver the cushions.
They did not, when I called them on Friday, they denied that they had agreed to call me; they could tell me nothing, nor would they give me an appointment.
Then I received an e-mail from Johanneke, my occupational therapist, informing me that Quattron had called her and told her they would deliver on 24th June.
Amazing they could call her, but not me, not even an e –mail, once the support cushions are here I hope that I no longer have to deal with them.
They seem to not care about their customers, at least that is the impression they have given me, this was amplified by the total disinterest of whoever I spoke to on Friday at Quattron.
Welzorg on the other hand were great, they sent someone out on Friday afternoon, who straightened the bent support for the wheelchair, which meant I can use the wheelchair.
Brilliant response from Welzorg, I was very happy to thank them for their help, support, they really impressed me, not so Quattron, I hope they become more customer orientated soon."
Yes, indeed.
In fact, Quattron and Agis need to send representatives with the cushions to Herrad's home and give her an in person apology, and make that before June 24, 2011.
Herrad is one example of the world wide problem of the lack of patient-centered care in the healthcare system. Patients should not have to rely heavily upon themselves to advocate the way Herrad has done, in their fragile physical time of need.
In fact, Herrad's voice is ALL she has left that works, and thankfully she can speak! She has friends around the world advocating for these cushions and she still doesn't have them.
Time is of the essence Quattron, shame on you and Agis for allowing this to progress this way.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
"Our Patients,Ourselves:Art and Science of Psychiatry": NCPS Annual meeting and pharma income: Dr.Jason Bermak
While perusing the AstraZeneca Speaker Compensation Report listing doctors receiving income from AstraZeneca from January 2011 through March 2011, I discovered many doctors receiving $20,000 and higher.
So I did a little digging and found one in particular with many conflicts (income from drug companies).
Dr.Jason Bermak is in the Dollars for Docs database as well as in the AstraZeneca dollars for docs database.
Dr. Jason Bermak was on the Professional Education Committee at the recent Annual Meeting of the NCPS (Northern California Psychiatric Society) held in March at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, in Monterey, California.
Dollars for Docs- J&J (makers of Risperdal) Pfizer, AstraZeneca
Displaying all 3 payments for the term Jason Bermak .
Name State City Company Amount Quarters Service Payees
BERMAK, JASON CHARLES Calif. San Francisco Pfizer $5,096 2009
Q3-Q4 Expert-Led Forums: $4375.00, Meals: $460.00, Business Related Travel: $261.00
BERMAK, JASON CHARLES
Bermak, Jason Calif. San Francisco AstraZeneca $27,800 2010
Q1-Q2 Speaker compensation JASON BERMAK
Bermak, Jason C. Calif. San Francisco J&J $48,693 2010
Q1-Q3 Consulting, Speaker Bureau; Service Fees: $37600, Business Meals: $596, Business Travel: $10497 Jason C. Bermak
---
The brochure for the Annual NCPS also lists BMS (maker of Abilify) as a source for Dr. Bermak's pharma income.
Listed as a staff psychiatrist at California's Vacaville State Prison, that appears to be a conflict of interest as well, considering the doctor is in charge of medicating the patients/prisoners, and is now directly influenced by his personal bank account via several pharmaceutical companies.
The Art and Science of Psychiatry seems to have taken a turn from true art and science, where doctors believed there was an art and science approach to helping the human being in a suffering condition.
The Art and Science now appears to be of balancing personal integrity, justifying income from the same pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the drugs prescribed for the mental health - as well as the same companies backing many studies and research. It seems to be the way it goes for psychiatry now, and is increasing at a rate faster than one can keep up with, or read databases....
There is much to consider when in a vulnerable frame of mind while seeking help from a professional. Frankly, the line is blurred when doctors such as Jason Bermak and others walk lockstep with Big Pharma.
So I did a little digging and found one in particular with many conflicts (income from drug companies).
Dr.Jason Bermak is in the Dollars for Docs database as well as in the AstraZeneca dollars for docs database.
Dr. Jason Bermak was on the Professional Education Committee at the recent Annual Meeting of the NCPS (Northern California Psychiatric Society) held in March at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, in Monterey, California.
Dollars for Docs- J&J (makers of Risperdal) Pfizer, AstraZeneca
Displaying all 3 payments for the term Jason Bermak .
Name State City Company Amount Quarters Service Payees
BERMAK, JASON CHARLES Calif. San Francisco Pfizer $5,096 2009
Q3-Q4 Expert-Led Forums: $4375.00, Meals: $460.00, Business Related Travel: $261.00
BERMAK, JASON CHARLES
Bermak, Jason Calif. San Francisco AstraZeneca $27,800 2010
Q1-Q2 Speaker compensation JASON BERMAK
Bermak, Jason C. Calif. San Francisco J&J $48,693 2010
Q1-Q3 Consulting, Speaker Bureau; Service Fees: $37600, Business Meals: $596, Business Travel: $10497 Jason C. Bermak
---
The brochure for the Annual NCPS also lists BMS (maker of Abilify) as a source for Dr. Bermak's pharma income.
Listed as a staff psychiatrist at California's Vacaville State Prison, that appears to be a conflict of interest as well, considering the doctor is in charge of medicating the patients/prisoners, and is now directly influenced by his personal bank account via several pharmaceutical companies.
The Art and Science of Psychiatry seems to have taken a turn from true art and science, where doctors believed there was an art and science approach to helping the human being in a suffering condition.
The Art and Science now appears to be of balancing personal integrity, justifying income from the same pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the drugs prescribed for the mental health - as well as the same companies backing many studies and research. It seems to be the way it goes for psychiatry now, and is increasing at a rate faster than one can keep up with, or read databases....
There is much to consider when in a vulnerable frame of mind while seeking help from a professional. Frankly, the line is blurred when doctors such as Jason Bermak and others walk lockstep with Big Pharma.
More
Researcher Profile - Jason Bermak -RESEARCHER INFORMATION
First Name: Jason
Last Name: Bermak
Advanced Degrees: MD / PhD
Affiliation: University of California, San Francisco
Department: Psychiatry
Clinical Interests:
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, ADD) , Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety disorders , Bipolar disorder , Borderline personality disorder
Research Focus:
Drug screening, GABAergic transmission, Clinical trials, Pharamacology, Glutamatergic transmission
---
This distinguished faculty are paid consultants of Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Jason Bermak:
Jason C. Bermak, MD, PhD
is Medical Director of SF-CARE, Inc., a clinical research organization based in San Francisco, where he cares for and conducts clinical research studies involving seriously mentally ill patients. As a board-certified psychiatrist, Dr. Bermak also sees patients privately in San Francisco, at the California Medical Facility (Vacaville State Prison), and as an attending psychiatrist at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital.
In addition to his work as a clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Bermak is also Chief Medical Officer to Anvyl LLC, an early stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of non-sedating anxiolytic as well as cognitive enhancing medications. He holds a PhD in pharmacology with an emphasis in neuropharmacology and over a dozen publications in high- impact journals. In his scientific roles, Dr. Bermak consults frequently for biopharmaceutical companies with a focus on clinical trial design in the transition from preclinical to clinical stages of drug development.
As an educator who thrives on engaging and lecturing to his colleagues, Dr. Bermak is the chairman of an annual San Francisco-based psychopharmacology conference, hosted by the Northern California branch of the American Psychiatric Association. He obtained his medical degree and PhD in pharmacology from the University of California, Irvine and his residency training in general and adult psychiatry from the University of California, San Francisco."
$$$$$$
Thursday, June 09, 2011
AstraZeneca pays doctors to speak, is yours on the list? are YOU on the list?
As part of AstraZeneca's April 2010 $520 million dollar fine for illegal marketing of Seroquel and CIA (Corporate Integrity Agreement), the company was ordered to disclose payments to doctors on a website.
Here is the list of AstraZeneca paid doctors for the 1st Quarter of 2011
Speaker Compensation Report
From AstraZeneca's website:
Some of the top paid doctors by AstraZeneca January 2011-March 2011
Name Payee
Alva, Gustavo ATP GROUP INC Costa Mesa CA $22,100
Baker, John JOHN BAKER East Lansing MI $26,100
Belcadi, Mounir NORTH BAY PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATES Santa Rosa CA $6,600
Bermak, Jason JASON BERMAK San Francisco CA $27,400
Bukstein, Don DON BUKSTEIN Fitchburg WI $20,700
Hayes, John JOHN HAYES Huntsville AL $28,800
Bensch, George GEORGE BENSCH Stockton CA $37,800
Bermak, Jason JASON BERMAK San Francisco CA $27,400
Billings Jr., Charles CHARLES BILLINGS Gretna LA $30,900
Brams, Matthew MATTHEW BRAMS Houston TX $24,200
Citrome, Leslie LESLIE CITROME NATHAN KLINE INST Suffern NY $20,700
El-Khalili, Nizar ALPINE CLINIC Lafayette IN $28,000
El-Mallakh, Rifaat RIFAAT ELMALLAKH Louisville KY $22,900
Espiridion, Eduardo EDUARDO ESPIRIDION Hagerstown MD $20,300
Fenley, John JOHN FENLEY Johnson City TN $22,300
Goldberg, Joseph JOSEPH GOLDBERG New Rochelle NY $37,300
Grewal, Harinder HARINDER GREWAL Fallbrook CA $100
WORLD WIDE RESEARCH INC Fallbrook CA $20,100
Griffith, Marcus MARCUS GRIFFITH M CHRISTOPHER GRIFFITH Stockbridge GA $22,900
Groover, Ann ANN M GROOVER Calhoun GA $21,000
Gupta, Sanjay SANJAY GUPTA Williamsville NY $23,400
Inwood, Kevin PHYSICIANS MED CONSULTANTS Jupiter FL $27,300
Kinnaman, Max MAX C KINNAMAN JR Owensboro KY $37,250
Pinto, Carmen CARMEN PINTO Elizabethtown KY $43,800
Raj, Y Pritham PRITHAM RAJ Portland OR $42,400
Ranen, Neal NEAL RANEN York PA $62,100
Reccoppa, Lawrence LAWRENCE RECCOPPA Gainesville FL $38,500
Rubinstein,Israel ISRAEL RUBINSTEIN Highland Pak IL $49,100
Schwartz, Michael MICHAEL SCHWARTZ Austin TX $27,300
Shah, Asim ASIM SHAH Sugar Land TX $51,100
Shah, Shailen PA ALLERGY & ASTHMA CONSULTANTS Malvern PA $39,450
Smith, David DAVID SMITH Yuba City CA $25,200
Tripodis, Konstanti KONSTANTINOS TRIPODIS Thousand Oaks CA $29,900
Ververeli, Kathleen KATHLEEN VERVERELI Allentown PA $40,200
Here is the list of AstraZeneca paid doctors for the 1st Quarter of 2011
Speaker Compensation Report
From AstraZeneca's website:
Some of the top paid doctors by AstraZeneca January 2011-March 2011
Name Payee
Alva, Gustavo ATP GROUP INC Costa Mesa CA $22,100
Baker, John JOHN BAKER East Lansing MI $26,100
Belcadi, Mounir NORTH BAY PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATES Santa Rosa CA $6,600
Bermak, Jason JASON BERMAK San Francisco CA $27,400
Bukstein, Don DON BUKSTEIN Fitchburg WI $20,700
Hayes, John JOHN HAYES Huntsville AL $28,800
Bensch, George GEORGE BENSCH Stockton CA $37,800
Bermak, Jason JASON BERMAK San Francisco CA $27,400
Billings Jr., Charles CHARLES BILLINGS Gretna LA $30,900
Brams, Matthew MATTHEW BRAMS Houston TX $24,200
Citrome, Leslie LESLIE CITROME NATHAN KLINE INST Suffern NY $20,700
El-Khalili, Nizar ALPINE CLINIC Lafayette IN $28,000
El-Mallakh, Rifaat RIFAAT ELMALLAKH Louisville KY $22,900
Espiridion, Eduardo EDUARDO ESPIRIDION Hagerstown MD $20,300
Fenley, John JOHN FENLEY Johnson City TN $22,300
Goldberg, Joseph JOSEPH GOLDBERG New Rochelle NY $37,300
Grewal, Harinder HARINDER GREWAL Fallbrook CA $100
WORLD WIDE RESEARCH INC Fallbrook CA $20,100
Griffith, Marcus MARCUS GRIFFITH M CHRISTOPHER GRIFFITH Stockbridge GA $22,900
Groover, Ann ANN M GROOVER Calhoun GA $21,000
Gupta, Sanjay SANJAY GUPTA Williamsville NY $23,400
Inwood, Kevin PHYSICIANS MED CONSULTANTS Jupiter FL $27,300
Kinnaman, Max MAX C KINNAMAN JR Owensboro KY $37,250
Pinto, Carmen CARMEN PINTO Elizabethtown KY $43,800
Raj, Y Pritham PRITHAM RAJ Portland OR $42,400
Ranen, Neal NEAL RANEN York PA $62,100
Reccoppa, Lawrence LAWRENCE RECCOPPA Gainesville FL $38,500
Rubinstein,Israel ISRAEL RUBINSTEIN Highland Pak IL $49,100
Schwartz, Michael MICHAEL SCHWARTZ Austin TX $27,300
Shah, Asim ASIM SHAH Sugar Land TX $51,100
Shah, Shailen PA ALLERGY & ASTHMA CONSULTANTS Malvern PA $39,450
Smith, David DAVID SMITH Yuba City CA $25,200
Tripodis, Konstanti KONSTANTINOS TRIPODIS Thousand Oaks CA $29,900
Ververeli, Kathleen KATHLEEN VERVERELI Allentown PA $40,200
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Regina Holliday's The Walking Gallery--watch a short video of the event
The Walking Gallery from Eidolon Films on Vimeo.
For those following Regina Holliday's , The Walking Gallery of patient stories on jackets, here is a video clip of the event. It looks like an enormous success!
"de·test·able" Johnson and Johnson: "The defendents chose to use pretenses to keep them hidden"--study results, Risperdal & weight gain, diabetes
J&J, Johnson and Johnson, makers of Risperdal, antipsychotic ordered to pay $327,073,700.00 Million dollars for deceptive marketing of Risperdal.
Risperdal sales from 1994-2010 $28.90 Billion dollars.
Word of the day
de·test·able adj \di-ˈtes-tÉ™-bÉ™l, dÄ“-\
1.Stimulating disgust or detestation; offensive; shocking.
Usage notes
Nouns to which "detestable" is often applied: crime, thing, practices, act, character, nature, person, conduct, villain, behavior.
VIA PHARMALOT:
"In explaining his decision to penalize Johnson & Johnson a healthy $327 million for deceptive marketing of its Risperdal antipsychotic, South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Roger Crouch late last week made a point of reciting a part of the famed credo that is religiously repeated by execs at the health care giant: “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services. In meeting their needs, everything we do must be of high quality.”
Why? He wanted to contrast the credo with actions taken by the Johnson & Johnson team. To set the stage for his remarks, Crouch offered this: “It it is the loss of the company’s focus, upon the primary objective of its credo, which brings us to this discussion." --Pharmalot
--
The 17 page pdf Johnson and Johnson Pentalty Order- by Judge Couch-via Pharmalot.
In the penalty order
The Judge quotes a Philosophy magazine article that discusses "lying" and used it in his analysis of the case, where he uses this excerpt:
"Lying has nothing to do with truth and falsity. It is simply not true that the definition of lying is stating a falsehood. Lying seems instead to be a relation between a belief and an intention. If you utter what you believe to be false (regardless of whether it is false) for the purpose of inducing another to believe that it is true, you have lied."
The Judge discusses hidden study results
ERI and Study 113
"THE DEFENDENTS CONDUCTED AND PARTICIPATED IN STUDIES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SHED LIGHT ON THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG. Specifically, these studies included RIS USA-113 & 275 and ERI. In the case of ERI and Study 113, the results indicated A SUBSTANTIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE USE OF THIS DRUG AND WEIGHT GAIN AND DIABETES.RATHER THAN MAKING THE INFORMATION GATHERED IN THESE STUDIES AVAILABLE TO THE MEDICAL, REGULATORY AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES, THE DEFENDENTS CHOSE TO USE PRETENSES TO KEEP THEM HIDDEN."
The company characterized the results as flawed and hid the results until 2009. According to the Judge's remarks those results were not made public until Risperdal went off patent.
Could this be what we are waiting to see happen with the buried data from AstraZeneca regarding weight gain and diabetes from the use of Seroquel? The internal documents have been made public regarding Seroquel and the courts still dismiss cases of diabetes citing lack of causal proof and connection to the use and the drug by patients who have been injured by way of weight gain and diabetes after taking Seroquel.
Could Judge Couch be setting the stage for AstraZeneca to follow? Will there ever be justice for the victims of Lilly's Zyprexa? and AstraZeneca's Seroquel? or will the silence remain, and the pharmaceutical companies continue to reap the benefits of lying, and scandalous behaviors that the Judge called "detestable" regarding Johnson and Johnson's business practices?
THE JUDGE COMMENTS ON INFORMED CONSENT, PATIENTS RIGHTS
"I do note that courts in this State have consistently upheld that medical patients have the right to make informed decisions concerning their treatment.It is elementary that the right to make informed treatment decisions would extend to, and include, the right of a patient to have made available to them, full and complete disclosures of the critical information in the package insert,in the label published, on the Physician's Desk Reference or on the company's website. This need for full and complete disclosure of all available information is especially critical where the majority of patients treated with this drug suffer from conditions which diminish their ability to make such critical decisions to the point they may rely more heavily on the advice of their physicians or guardians. Because of the diminished mental capacity of the patients being treated , this Court finds the actions of the Defendants, upon this audience, to be detestable."
---
My heart cries day and night
As a mother who had no idea what Risperdal was in the Fall of 1999, I too consider the act of lying and burying data by Johnson and Johnson detestable.
I thought my daughter was dying and that is a day mother's don't forget. She was in the hospital for the first time, at the urging of a psychiatrist--where back then I was naive and thought that is what you do. You get help from doctors and kids go to hospitals to get well when something is wrong.
That is a day I will regret my entire life, due to the fact that the Risperdal was removed and Zyprexa was added, along with a new overnight dx that is now removed--Childhood Bipolar Disorder, along with the addition of Depakote, Zoloft and a soon to follow decade of a nightmare of doctors overmedicating my daughter with drugs made by companies who were out to make a profit and not ever consider the patients they were injuring and lives they were changing and ruining forever.
Johnson and Johnson, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca are all guilty of hiding data that could have changed the outcome of so many lives and let us never forget that CHILDREN DEPEND ON PARENTS, CAREGIVERS AND GUARDIANS AND THEIR DOCTORS FOR INFORMED CONSENT.
CHILDREN ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE OF ALL MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS AND JOHNSON AND JOHNSON'S BUSINESS PRACTICES CAUSED THEM TO RECEIVE UNDUE HARM.
Review of the word of the day
Detestable.
de·test·able adj \di-ˈtes-tÉ™-bÉ™l, dÄ“-\
1.Stimulating disgust or detestation; offensive; shocking.
Usage notes to which "detestable" is often applied: crime, thing, practices, act, character, nature, person, conduct, villain, behavior.
Risperdal sales from 1994-2010 $28.90 Billion dollars.
Word of the day
de·test·able adj \di-ˈtes-tÉ™-bÉ™l, dÄ“-\
1.Stimulating disgust or detestation; offensive; shocking.
Usage notes
Nouns to which "detestable" is often applied: crime, thing, practices, act, character, nature, person, conduct, villain, behavior.
VIA PHARMALOT:
"In explaining his decision to penalize Johnson & Johnson a healthy $327 million for deceptive marketing of its Risperdal antipsychotic, South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Roger Crouch late last week made a point of reciting a part of the famed credo that is religiously repeated by execs at the health care giant: “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services. In meeting their needs, everything we do must be of high quality.”
Why? He wanted to contrast the credo with actions taken by the Johnson & Johnson team. To set the stage for his remarks, Crouch offered this: “It it is the loss of the company’s focus, upon the primary objective of its credo, which brings us to this discussion." --Pharmalot
--
The 17 page pdf Johnson and Johnson Pentalty Order- by Judge Couch-via Pharmalot.
In the penalty order
The Judge quotes a Philosophy magazine article that discusses "lying" and used it in his analysis of the case, where he uses this excerpt:
"Lying has nothing to do with truth and falsity. It is simply not true that the definition of lying is stating a falsehood. Lying seems instead to be a relation between a belief and an intention. If you utter what you believe to be false (regardless of whether it is false) for the purpose of inducing another to believe that it is true, you have lied."
The Judge discusses hidden study results
ERI and Study 113
"THE DEFENDENTS CONDUCTED AND PARTICIPATED IN STUDIES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SHED LIGHT ON THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG. Specifically, these studies included RIS USA-113 & 275 and ERI. In the case of ERI and Study 113, the results indicated A SUBSTANTIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE USE OF THIS DRUG AND WEIGHT GAIN AND DIABETES.RATHER THAN MAKING THE INFORMATION GATHERED IN THESE STUDIES AVAILABLE TO THE MEDICAL, REGULATORY AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES, THE DEFENDENTS CHOSE TO USE PRETENSES TO KEEP THEM HIDDEN."
The company characterized the results as flawed and hid the results until 2009. According to the Judge's remarks those results were not made public until Risperdal went off patent.
Could this be what we are waiting to see happen with the buried data from AstraZeneca regarding weight gain and diabetes from the use of Seroquel? The internal documents have been made public regarding Seroquel and the courts still dismiss cases of diabetes citing lack of causal proof and connection to the use and the drug by patients who have been injured by way of weight gain and diabetes after taking Seroquel.
Could Judge Couch be setting the stage for AstraZeneca to follow? Will there ever be justice for the victims of Lilly's Zyprexa? and AstraZeneca's Seroquel? or will the silence remain, and the pharmaceutical companies continue to reap the benefits of lying, and scandalous behaviors that the Judge called "detestable" regarding Johnson and Johnson's business practices?
THE JUDGE COMMENTS ON INFORMED CONSENT, PATIENTS RIGHTS
"I do note that courts in this State have consistently upheld that medical patients have the right to make informed decisions concerning their treatment.It is elementary that the right to make informed treatment decisions would extend to, and include, the right of a patient to have made available to them, full and complete disclosures of the critical information in the package insert,in the label published, on the Physician's Desk Reference or on the company's website. This need for full and complete disclosure of all available information is especially critical where the majority of patients treated with this drug suffer from conditions which diminish their ability to make such critical decisions to the point they may rely more heavily on the advice of their physicians or guardians. Because of the diminished mental capacity of the patients being treated , this Court finds the actions of the Defendants, upon this audience, to be detestable."
---
My heart cries day and night
As a mother who had no idea what Risperdal was in the Fall of 1999, I too consider the act of lying and burying data by Johnson and Johnson detestable.
I thought my daughter was dying and that is a day mother's don't forget. She was in the hospital for the first time, at the urging of a psychiatrist--where back then I was naive and thought that is what you do. You get help from doctors and kids go to hospitals to get well when something is wrong.
That is a day I will regret my entire life, due to the fact that the Risperdal was removed and Zyprexa was added, along with a new overnight dx that is now removed--Childhood Bipolar Disorder, along with the addition of Depakote, Zoloft and a soon to follow decade of a nightmare of doctors overmedicating my daughter with drugs made by companies who were out to make a profit and not ever consider the patients they were injuring and lives they were changing and ruining forever.
Johnson and Johnson, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca are all guilty of hiding data that could have changed the outcome of so many lives and let us never forget that CHILDREN DEPEND ON PARENTS, CAREGIVERS AND GUARDIANS AND THEIR DOCTORS FOR INFORMED CONSENT.
CHILDREN ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE OF ALL MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS AND JOHNSON AND JOHNSON'S BUSINESS PRACTICES CAUSED THEM TO RECEIVE UNDUE HARM.
Review of the word of the day
Detestable.
de·test·able adj \di-ˈtes-tÉ™-bÉ™l, dÄ“-\
1.Stimulating disgust or detestation; offensive; shocking.
Usage notes to which "detestable" is often applied: crime, thing, practices, act, character, nature, person, conduct, villain, behavior.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Prescribed antipsychotics at age 3!
Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.
hat tip to pharmagossip
via Hat tip: http://seroquellawsuitblog.blogspot.com/
One child was prescribed 26 drugs by 9 doctors.New site for support: Surviving Antidepressants
Along with the discovery of the new Seroquel Lawsuit Blog, I was given a tip by a reader about a new forum for antidepressant users and withdrawal sufferers, titled Surviving Antidepressants.
Whether it is an antipsychotic or an antidepressant, benzo or epilepsy drug one thing is clear: there is a high need for information on tapering the drugs safely, and much need for support while doing it.
The patients themselves speak from experience with information not always accepted in the mainstream psychiatric world of information (from doctors).
Go check out the sites, leave comments, sign up at the forum, and find the support you need from people who care. Both sites promote anonymity, and anecdotal experiences are welcome commentary. You're not alone!
Whether it is an antipsychotic or an antidepressant, benzo or epilepsy drug one thing is clear: there is a high need for information on tapering the drugs safely, and much need for support while doing it.
The patients themselves speak from experience with information not always accepted in the mainstream psychiatric world of information (from doctors).
Go check out the sites, leave comments, sign up at the forum, and find the support you need from people who care. Both sites promote anonymity, and anecdotal experiences are welcome commentary. You're not alone!
Monday, June 06, 2011
Hookers and strippers : Blackstone Medical, can it get any worse than this?
VIA Jim Edwards at BNET-Spine Implant Company Used Hookers and Strippers as Kickbacks, Case Claims
"Faced with a case in which Blackstone Medical sales reps allegedly provided prostitutes and strippers to doctors who agreed to use its spinal implants, a federal appeals court has ruled that the trial judges underneath them have applied the false claims and anti-kickback statutes too strictly."
"Faced with a case in which Blackstone Medical sales reps allegedly provided prostitutes and strippers to doctors who agreed to use its spinal implants, a federal appeals court has ruled that the trial judges underneath them have applied the false claims and anti-kickback statutes too strictly."
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