Ben Goldacre explains drug studies

[GrossDad]

"Research You Can't Swallow"

Well worth the time!

[rubato]

People remember who paid them and are influenced by it.

"... We can begin with some recent work. In 2010, three researchers from Harvard and Toronto found all the trials looking at five major classes of drug — antidepressants, ulcer drugs and so on — and then measured two key features: were they positive, and were they funded by industry? They found over 500 trials in total: 85 percent of the industry-funded studies were positive, but only 50 percent of the government-funded trials were. That’s a very significant difference. ... "

You can also see a straight-line effect in social psychology experiments investigating this. Unfortunately I can't link to it but you can start with Eliot Aronson's book "The Social Animal". They've shown a large effect in altering people's behavior even when small amounts of money were involved.

There are also recent studies showing the effects of drug-company 'inducements' on physician's use of drugs and recommending them to others.

I think it is clear that we can't allow them to pay for their own research and should forbid most contact with and payments to physicians.

What is also interesting is that the social-science on this is more than 30 years old and we are still not using it to guide policy. Why is that?

yrs,
rubato

[TPFKA@W]

I am stunned, STUNNED I tell you to learn of such deceit in the world.

Healthcare in general is the most greed oriented entity in the world.

[Joe Guy]

Now you know why every once in a while a study shows up that says two glasses of red wine every day is good for you or that chocolate is a health food, etc.

Cha Ching!!

[rubato]

I am stunned, STUNNED I tell you to learn of such deceit in the world.

Healthcare in general is the most greed oriented entity in the world.

Outside the US, no. Inside the US we have hedge funds, mortgage backed securities traders, Republican deregulators, Bankers, oil companies, and assorted others giving them a very vigorous run for, ahem, 'their' money.

yrs,
rubato

[TPFKA@W]

I am stunned, STUNNED I tell you to learn of such deceit in the world.

Healthcare in general is the most greed oriented entity in the world.

Outside the US, no. Inside the US we have hedge funds, mortgage backed securities traders, Republican deregulators, Bankers, oil companies, and assorted others giving them a very vigorous run for, ahem, 'their' money.

yrs,
rubato

Do you have any other note you can play?

[rubato]

I am stunned, STUNNED I tell you to learn of such deceit in the world.

Healthcare in general is the most greed oriented entity in the world.

Outside the US, no. Inside the US we have hedge funds, mortgage backed securities traders, Republican deregulators, Bankers, oil companies, and assorted others giving them a very vigorous run for, ahem, 'their' money.

yrs,
rubato

Do you have any other note you can play?

Besides bringing clarity and improving the perspective?

It seems enough to me.

yrs,
rubato

[TPFKA@W]

So that would be a resounding no. Gotcha.

[oldr_n_wsr]

All I know is anxiety meds are $13 for 90 days and my heart meds are $60 for 30 days.
Things that f$%^ with your brain are cheap, things that keep your body working right are expensive (but at least my doc gives me samples so a 30 day supply from the pharm is supplemented by the doc giving me the other 60 days for free).