back in the 70s we young docs were told always to make time for drug reps and look at their new products as they funded most of our education conferences at a time when nobody else did. I was even offered a trip to a conference in Prague ....excuse to drink and eat too much gratis with chums....but duty intervened. Even then I remember one young lady FP ...a lone voice in my experience.....telling me even taking a free pen morally compromised you. I though she was a bit priggish and puritan and hey! The free stuff would never influence our prescribing, we being totally rational, scientifically trained, unnudgeable chaps. Well she was spot on as events over the last few years as part of my personal awakening have shown. Clean since 2014 and now I'm retired and not prescribing I doubt anyone wants to bribe me !
As for Tilhana's post, I got this from another source today. I never saw it earlier this year. Just astonishing and right back to Soviet 'philosophical intoxication' and 'sluggish schizophrenia' days. And as we are now encouraged to get psychiatric patients to consider termination by MAID.......
Great comment Duncan - very interesting to hear your experience. I (Chris here, not Julie) was a newly graduated doc around the turn of the millennium, just when Viagra launched. Pfizer sensed the huge market, but docs are afraid of new drugs as they don't know the dose/interactions/side effects. My good friend was a Pfizer rep and asked if I wanted to go to Mt. Tremblant to ski for the weekend. I said "of course, but too rich for my blood". "No, it's free!" she said. I had a 3-day, all-expenses paid weekend. Included drink tickets, ski passes, food, everything. All I had to do was go to 3 hrs per morning of "education" about Viagra.
I look back at it now and realize that they knew what they were doing. I was more "comfortable" with the drug and probably prescribed it more than I would have otherwise. The rules changed soon after (thank goodness) but also I realized how skanky this type of event was. I never did another one even when they were an option.
Ironically, within my first year of practice I basically went to zero drug-rep visits, at a time when a normal family doc had one or two per week. I later found out from an insider that it was because 1) I didn't prescribe the latest/greatest/most expensive and 2) I argued with the drug reps that did come about their "evidence" rather than taking it at face value. I was a "hard target" and not worth wasting time on. Once I found out that it was my ornery nature - and not my personal hygiene - that was keeping the drug reps away I felt much better. I look at is now as a feather in my cap.
Thats just terrible. I well remember the Opren problem. Dad told me he always waited six to twelve months before prescribing anything new in case there were bad side effects. I was 13 at the time the whole thing blew up but terminating psychiatric patients by medical assistances is horribly wrong. Theres something physically wrong or the problems would lift.
One of my favourite teachers first introduced me to the expression: "Be not the first to try new things, nor the last to discard the old". Sage advice.
Good point! And yet so many on the left are scratching their heads wondering why people have lost faith in "experts" and institutions. And the question of how to restore that faith is always couched as, "How do we convince people to believe what the experts say?" instead of "How do we deal with corruption and dishonesty in these institutions so that people feel like they can trust them again?"
The latest in the incestuous relationship between doctors and pharma: Ontario's College of Physicians and Surgeons sent out a letter to doctors in Ontario recommending that anyone refusing the Covid vaccine clearly has psychological problems and should be put on psychiatric medication:
So one way or another, let's get every Canadian citizen on pharmaceuticals. We'll let them choose: Covid jabs every 3 months, or psych meds indefinitely. They gotta make up that vaccine revenue loss somehow, right?
I remember reading that back when it came out in early 2022. It sent a chill down my spine. Psychiatry has a long and sordid history of being used to silence political dissent and that's what it reminded me of.
Excellent review, I too was relatively naive until recently. The ghost management of the scientific literature and the capture of the regulators by big pharma has been going on for years and I had not learned how extreme this was until this past 2 years with the Covid narrative. Katherine Fierlbeck's book "Transparency Power and Influence in the Pharmaceutical Industry "is an excellent review of just how this is done by big pharma. It should be a must read by all medical students.
Having a family member who has suffered with anxiety & depression for 25 years and the assembly line of psychiatric medications that was thrown willy nilly(NONE helped with her mood - some either made her apathetic & others made her worse, crying and introverted). It wasn't until we got off all meds, changed to a wholefood, meat based diet, along with clean non-fluoridated water, removed ALL processed foods and all chemicals(from personal care products to household cleaners), along with lifestyle changes(early sunlight on morning walks) and improving circadian rhythm by going to bed/getting up at the same time everyday...I'm probably missing some things, but this is the big things that turned my family members life around...she's back to the fun loving, confident, outgoing person she used to be.
Thankfully I remember my warnings by lecturers that if the study was funded by a pharmaceutical company that it was inherently biased. Same goes for Tv sponsored by it. CNN was sponsored by Pfizer for so many things. We dont get to see that in the UK but I found it on the web. I take all studies with a gallon of salt if they are sponsored by pharmaceuticals. I myself have taken Effexor, for 12 years and am still reeling from the withdrawal effects. I didnt sleep for weeks. and still dont. Being a psychiatrist I still tried to find out if there were any physical problems first, because lets face it just chucking antidepressants isnt going to get anyone totally better if they have a problem thats physically based. I found vitamin deficiencies rife everywhere, totally unsuitable diets and a slew of other problems. Poverty and misery dont go away with antidepressants.
So Needs this kind of exposure of big pharma profit via captured regulators and now at expense of previously trusting medical community having eyes opened and the process needed to bring correction and justice. Thankful for those speaking out to educate both medical and lay minds.
Yep, yep, and yep. It's all so so true. Neferious malfeceant nihilsm. My oh my we gotta do something about this. Now please everyone. For the children.
PS We absolutely need new truthful scientific and medical journals, preferrably with open access ; ) and absolutely no direct to consumer big pharm marketing. How 'bout natural, complementary, and alternative health marketing : ) ! with love.
I gotta stop reading these with my morning tea, nothing like starting the day off with a sense of hopelessness. Kidding, sort off.
Keep ‘em coming, I really do look forward to your writing.
It's relieving to see Drs aware of the corruption speaking up. Thank you! You are a vital role model.
back in the 70s we young docs were told always to make time for drug reps and look at their new products as they funded most of our education conferences at a time when nobody else did. I was even offered a trip to a conference in Prague ....excuse to drink and eat too much gratis with chums....but duty intervened. Even then I remember one young lady FP ...a lone voice in my experience.....telling me even taking a free pen morally compromised you. I though she was a bit priggish and puritan and hey! The free stuff would never influence our prescribing, we being totally rational, scientifically trained, unnudgeable chaps. Well she was spot on as events over the last few years as part of my personal awakening have shown. Clean since 2014 and now I'm retired and not prescribing I doubt anyone wants to bribe me !
As for Tilhana's post, I got this from another source today. I never saw it earlier this year. Just astonishing and right back to Soviet 'philosophical intoxication' and 'sluggish schizophrenia' days. And as we are now encouraged to get psychiatric patients to consider termination by MAID.......
Great comment Duncan - very interesting to hear your experience. I (Chris here, not Julie) was a newly graduated doc around the turn of the millennium, just when Viagra launched. Pfizer sensed the huge market, but docs are afraid of new drugs as they don't know the dose/interactions/side effects. My good friend was a Pfizer rep and asked if I wanted to go to Mt. Tremblant to ski for the weekend. I said "of course, but too rich for my blood". "No, it's free!" she said. I had a 3-day, all-expenses paid weekend. Included drink tickets, ski passes, food, everything. All I had to do was go to 3 hrs per morning of "education" about Viagra.
I look back at it now and realize that they knew what they were doing. I was more "comfortable" with the drug and probably prescribed it more than I would have otherwise. The rules changed soon after (thank goodness) but also I realized how skanky this type of event was. I never did another one even when they were an option.
Ironically, within my first year of practice I basically went to zero drug-rep visits, at a time when a normal family doc had one or two per week. I later found out from an insider that it was because 1) I didn't prescribe the latest/greatest/most expensive and 2) I argued with the drug reps that did come about their "evidence" rather than taking it at face value. I was a "hard target" and not worth wasting time on. Once I found out that it was my ornery nature - and not my personal hygiene - that was keeping the drug reps away I felt much better. I look at is now as a feather in my cap.
Thats just terrible. I well remember the Opren problem. Dad told me he always waited six to twelve months before prescribing anything new in case there were bad side effects. I was 13 at the time the whole thing blew up but terminating psychiatric patients by medical assistances is horribly wrong. Theres something physically wrong or the problems would lift.
One of my favourite teachers first introduced me to the expression: "Be not the first to try new things, nor the last to discard the old". Sage advice.
Good point! And yet so many on the left are scratching their heads wondering why people have lost faith in "experts" and institutions. And the question of how to restore that faith is always couched as, "How do we convince people to believe what the experts say?" instead of "How do we deal with corruption and dishonesty in these institutions so that people feel like they can trust them again?"
The latest in the incestuous relationship between doctors and pharma: Ontario's College of Physicians and Surgeons sent out a letter to doctors in Ontario recommending that anyone refusing the Covid vaccine clearly has psychological problems and should be put on psychiatric medication:
https://twitter.com/Resist_05/status/1593887898788851712?s=20&t=BoWeAeHhjzWHgJD4p4Y_BA
So one way or another, let's get every Canadian citizen on pharmaceuticals. We'll let them choose: Covid jabs every 3 months, or psych meds indefinitely. They gotta make up that vaccine revenue loss somehow, right?
I remember reading that back when it came out in early 2022. It sent a chill down my spine. Psychiatry has a long and sordid history of being used to silence political dissent and that's what it reminded me of.
Soviet union tactics. Shame on Ontarios college.
Excellent review, I too was relatively naive until recently. The ghost management of the scientific literature and the capture of the regulators by big pharma has been going on for years and I had not learned how extreme this was until this past 2 years with the Covid narrative. Katherine Fierlbeck's book "Transparency Power and Influence in the Pharmaceutical Industry "is an excellent review of just how this is done by big pharma. It should be a must read by all medical students.
Pharma industry and their friends play on people's desperation to get well, or fear of sickness to just to make lots of money? So so sad.
Having a family member who has suffered with anxiety & depression for 25 years and the assembly line of psychiatric medications that was thrown willy nilly(NONE helped with her mood - some either made her apathetic & others made her worse, crying and introverted). It wasn't until we got off all meds, changed to a wholefood, meat based diet, along with clean non-fluoridated water, removed ALL processed foods and all chemicals(from personal care products to household cleaners), along with lifestyle changes(early sunlight on morning walks) and improving circadian rhythm by going to bed/getting up at the same time everyday...I'm probably missing some things, but this is the big things that turned my family members life around...she's back to the fun loving, confident, outgoing person she used to be.
Excellent article, Julie! Thank you so much! It's too bad it can't be published in The Medical Post...
Amen, PoD, merci! More Dilbert with a cogent comment by CountMontyC -
Like most government agencies." We have investigated the situation and found ourselves blameless"...dilbert.com/strip/2022-11-16
Paying For The Answer
=Text in image=
WE HIRED AN INDEPENDENT FIRM
TO INVESTIGATE YOUR WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS
AND
THEY FOUND THEM BASELESS.
WOULD YOU HAVE TOLD
ME THEIR FINDINGS IF
THEY AGREED WITH ME?
WHY
WOULD WE HIRE
SOMEONE TO GIVE US
THE WRONG ANSWER?
Thankfully I remember my warnings by lecturers that if the study was funded by a pharmaceutical company that it was inherently biased. Same goes for Tv sponsored by it. CNN was sponsored by Pfizer for so many things. We dont get to see that in the UK but I found it on the web. I take all studies with a gallon of salt if they are sponsored by pharmaceuticals. I myself have taken Effexor, for 12 years and am still reeling from the withdrawal effects. I didnt sleep for weeks. and still dont. Being a psychiatrist I still tried to find out if there were any physical problems first, because lets face it just chucking antidepressants isnt going to get anyone totally better if they have a problem thats physically based. I found vitamin deficiencies rife everywhere, totally unsuitable diets and a slew of other problems. Poverty and misery dont go away with antidepressants.
We are happy to drug you senseless in Australia in order to inject you with an unethical, inefficacious clot provoking Bioweapon. If you are asleep you cannot look into our https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/04/atagi-advice-on-use-of-sedation-for-covid-19-vaccination_1.pdf
So Needs this kind of exposure of big pharma profit via captured regulators and now at expense of previously trusting medical community having eyes opened and the process needed to bring correction and justice. Thankful for those speaking out to educate both medical and lay minds.
Yep, yep, and yep. It's all so so true. Neferious malfeceant nihilsm. My oh my we gotta do something about this. Now please everyone. For the children.
PS We absolutely need new truthful scientific and medical journals, preferrably with open access ; ) and absolutely no direct to consumer big pharm marketing. How 'bout natural, complementary, and alternative health marketing : ) ! with love.
Great stuff. The personal insights bring it home. I'll be cross-posting. Many thanks. And yes, Dilbert should be taught in schools.
Thanks Matt!
MS drugs are another very expensive scam.