Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in childhood depression: systematic review of published versus unpublished data
This issue has really blown up lately. With the increasing use of psychoactive medications to our children (which I think is absolutely unacceptable except in the most severe cases) the safety of this class of medications is not known. It turns out that many of these drugs had studies done that showed a negative risk-benefit ratio with some studies showing an increase in suicide rates in medicated kids. But these studies were conveniently never published which led to a favorable outcome when one looked ONLY at the published studies. While this type of shenanigans is fine for GM or Honeywell or some other big company, this is our future we are messing with.
For those of you reading this with small children at home–could you possibly imagine giving your child a powerful drug that affects the mind when we do not know what the long term damage may be? Or worse yet, the damage is known but hidden? Where is this glorious FDA that we want to put in charge of our vitamins?
(editorial on this topic The Journal : Back Issues Back Issues).
US junior doctors found to be ignorant of drug companies’ tactics.
Okay. Most educated people on the street know or have some idea that the pharmaceutical companies use money and gifts to influence the prescribing behavior of doctors, and that these methods are very effective. However, residents were unaware of this behavior? Huh? No wonder it’s effective.
bmj.com Spurgeon 328 (7447): 1032 –