David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Antidepressants, Placebos, and Hypocrites
By Jane Chin
June 11, 2011
Recently on Quora there were 2 articles published on the high levels of ?placebo effect? on symptoms of depression, which caused one article to question the use of antidepressants. This prompted another article (written by a future physician) that examined the critiques brought forth by the original article.
The two articles are:
Anti-Depressants May Be No Better Than Active Placebos
Anti-depressants vs placebos: a closer look
Now before I go on, let me disclaim that I?m writing this as someone who:
I?ve even confused some of my readers on my ?Naked Medicine? blog who can?t figure out exactly ?whose? side I?m on!
But if there?s one thing I?m consistent about, it?s my criticism of anti-pharma physicians and MD lobbyists as big hypocrites. I?ll be straight up ? during my first years working on the commercial side of the industry, I have seen doctors up close and personal and how some of these people I would never ever go to if I were sick. I wouldn?t even recommend my enemy go to those people. They know how to play drug companies against each other for their own gain. I?ve seen it.
Now? the likes of Marcia Angell can serve a useful purpose in creating balance in healthcare. But as the 2nd article states ? she?s NOT a psychiatrist, but a pathologist. Yet she?s made her fame primarily by bashing pharma companies in the area of psychiatry. Perhaps she can use her energy lobbying for AMA to pay for MD?s CME? Then she?d be making real change not just talking a lot.
This is why I called for ?advocates? like Marcia Angell to talk less and start doing more in the area of CMEs. Doctors have claimed that they don?t really trust continuing medical education that they are obligated to take if the CME received any support from drug companies. So doctors don?t want to pay for their own CME. But they have to keep up CME for licensure. It?s bizarre logic, if you think about it ? it?s like saying you want to keep driving, but you don?t want to pay for your driver?s license renewal, and so you expect the car manufacturers to pay for you.
Someone has to pay for it, someone with vested interest in doctors ? which would be drug companies because only doctors have the power to legally prescribe drugs that drug companies make. Drug companies are clear about being businesses, they aren?t non profits and don?t pretend to be. Hence, they don?t enjoy the ?freedom of speech? from the government. In fact, drug companies? violations of ?controlled commercial speech? were bases for lawsuits brought by the government.
It?s the doctors who have absolute freedom of speech/power of prescription ? as granted by the government.
But what about AMA ? the lobbying body for doctors? They criticize pharma ? so why don?t they start paying for their own physician memberships? CME? Wouldn?t that alleviate these so called conflicts of interest and ethical concerns with drug companies?
Oh but AMA wants pharmas? money too! They charge drug companies $$$$ to advertise in their ridiculously expensive journals (you should look at the rate cards for these medical journals, some cost more than your annual salaries), which they then SELL BACK to pharma companies as ?reprint purchases? to share with doctors.
Anyone who?s worked in the life science industry knows that companies are the ones who pay for these reprints which are revenue streams for medical journals published by these med associations. Doctors don?t buy them. Institutions certainly don?t buy them. Drug companies do.
Hypocrisy at its best.
By Jane Chin
June 11, 2011
Recently on Quora there were 2 articles published on the high levels of ?placebo effect? on symptoms of depression, which caused one article to question the use of antidepressants. This prompted another article (written by a future physician) that examined the critiques brought forth by the original article.
The two articles are:
Anti-Depressants May Be No Better Than Active Placebos
Anti-depressants vs placebos: a closer look
Now before I go on, let me disclaim that I?m writing this as someone who:
- has experienced verifiable, clinical depression
- has taken an antidepressant
- has received psychotherapy
- has worked in the drug industry
- has both praises and criticisms for the drug industry ? as an insider and later consultant
- has a lot of criticisms for doctors who bash the companies whose money they take and whose products they rely on to help their patients
I?ve even confused some of my readers on my ?Naked Medicine? blog who can?t figure out exactly ?whose? side I?m on!
But if there?s one thing I?m consistent about, it?s my criticism of anti-pharma physicians and MD lobbyists as big hypocrites. I?ll be straight up ? during my first years working on the commercial side of the industry, I have seen doctors up close and personal and how some of these people I would never ever go to if I were sick. I wouldn?t even recommend my enemy go to those people. They know how to play drug companies against each other for their own gain. I?ve seen it.
Now? the likes of Marcia Angell can serve a useful purpose in creating balance in healthcare. But as the 2nd article states ? she?s NOT a psychiatrist, but a pathologist. Yet she?s made her fame primarily by bashing pharma companies in the area of psychiatry. Perhaps she can use her energy lobbying for AMA to pay for MD?s CME? Then she?d be making real change not just talking a lot.
This is why I called for ?advocates? like Marcia Angell to talk less and start doing more in the area of CMEs. Doctors have claimed that they don?t really trust continuing medical education that they are obligated to take if the CME received any support from drug companies. So doctors don?t want to pay for their own CME. But they have to keep up CME for licensure. It?s bizarre logic, if you think about it ? it?s like saying you want to keep driving, but you don?t want to pay for your driver?s license renewal, and so you expect the car manufacturers to pay for you.
Someone has to pay for it, someone with vested interest in doctors ? which would be drug companies because only doctors have the power to legally prescribe drugs that drug companies make. Drug companies are clear about being businesses, they aren?t non profits and don?t pretend to be. Hence, they don?t enjoy the ?freedom of speech? from the government. In fact, drug companies? violations of ?controlled commercial speech? were bases for lawsuits brought by the government.
It?s the doctors who have absolute freedom of speech/power of prescription ? as granted by the government.
But what about AMA ? the lobbying body for doctors? They criticize pharma ? so why don?t they start paying for their own physician memberships? CME? Wouldn?t that alleviate these so called conflicts of interest and ethical concerns with drug companies?
Oh but AMA wants pharmas? money too! They charge drug companies $$$$ to advertise in their ridiculously expensive journals (you should look at the rate cards for these medical journals, some cost more than your annual salaries), which they then SELL BACK to pharma companies as ?reprint purchases? to share with doctors.
Anyone who?s worked in the life science industry knows that companies are the ones who pay for these reprints which are revenue streams for medical journals published by these med associations. Doctors don?t buy them. Institutions certainly don?t buy them. Drug companies do.
Hypocrisy at its best.
