Incest: Big Pharma and the Doctors

Dan Frith

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I am no fan of Big Pharma...the pharmaceutical industry in America it out to make money at all costs!

However, some (naive) people believe the Food and Drug Administration and the doctors at teaching hospitals who conduct drug safety studies will protect their interest. Well, if you believe the FDA is doing a good job of protecting Americans then I want to sell you a piece of beach front property in Kansas. So, lets turn to those doctors at renowned medical institutions who conduct their own reviews and studies on new drugs and their relationship with Big Pharma.

The Wall Street Journal reported on June 9 that 3 prominent Harvard psychiatrists underreported payments they received from drug makers.The three doctors reported collective income of "a couple of hundred thousand dollars" over the 7 year period from 2000 to 2007. However, would you believe the real numbers were more like $1 million for one doctor and $1.6 million for each of the other two doctors! Do you think this kind of money might influence these Harvard doctors to push certain drugs over others?

Remember the 1996 Tom Cruise movie, Jerry Maguire, in which Cuba Gooding, Jr. plays a professional athlete and his favorite phrase is "Show me the money."Looks like Big Pharma has been showing the money to these Harvard doctors....and don't think they are alone!