Recent Comments

McKesson Settles Wholesale Pricing Suit For $350M
- November 21, 2008
Ed Silverman

November 22, 2008 10:21 am

Hi Anne, Yes, thank you, you're correct. I've clarified the point. Appreciate that you cared to tell me. Regards ed

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
atlex

November 22, 2008 9:09 am

Anon., I have no doubt that Goodwin should have disclosed these payments. Although I have little sympathy for him, it's important to recognize that much of his indiscretion came in a different era when the standards of disclosure were quite different. The past 2 or 3 years have brought many changes in the view

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McKesson Settles Wholesale Pricing Suit For $350M
- November 21, 2008
Anne PME

November 22, 2008 8:00 am

Hi Ed- Thanks for posting this. In your piece, you posted: "The plaintiffs claimed the listed prices, used by PHARMACIES to set reimbursement rates, were “arbitrarily” increased from 2001 to 2005 by McKesson and First DataBank," emphasis added by Anne PME Perhaps you meant to write this instead? The plaintiffs claimed the listed prices, which may be used by

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
Ed Silverman

November 22, 2008 6:48 am

Hello Hello, Just to clarify, you wrote: "Even this article’s description of the web site as offering this service is inaccurate and misleading." I wasn't the one chose to describe the site in this way. I was reporting Grassley's description - two different things. Regards ed

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Ed Silverman

November 22, 2008 6:45 am

Hi Justice, Headline writing is an imperfect art, especially given space considerations. I tried to convey the essence of the issue. In this case, yes, the students involved want full disclosure - because they dislike the conflicts. In any event, I will endeavor to do my best with heds in the future. Cheers ed

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
Parent

November 22, 2008 6:17 am

By the way a NAMI chapter which had links to Best Practices is in Maryland and congressional Representative Chris Van Hollen who represents many FDA employees was/is on the board. One of the things that Representative Van Hollen has repeatedly pointed to in his legislative career in the Maryland Senate is that he repeatedly pushed

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
Salmon

November 22, 2008 6:04 am

Hello, Actually this company has links to it's treatment recommendations at websites for supposed patient advocacy organizations, i.e. NAMI, under both professional and patient education/information. Salmon

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
Salmon

November 22, 2008 6:01 am

What’s interesting is the table Ed provides on the payments from Glaxo. The table is labeled as generated by Glaxo itself. Down under payments for Lamictal for 2007 it indicates that it includes honoraria for discussing the use of Lamictal for UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION. Lamictal has never been approved for treating unipolar depression, (check the labeling on the

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
Anon.

November 22, 2008 5:36 am

Atlex I refuse to get into splitting hairs with you. There is no moral equivalency. The issue here is that Goodwin got $1.3 million without disclosing, and he also runs a company that's really a marketing front even though it's designed to imply that it's unbiased and provides expert 'best practices' meanwhile promoting the diseases and the

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
Hello Who?

November 22, 2008 4:16 am

Very good, now no pizza or chinese, and call us for the order a day ahead. The doctor is only able to sign for samples, sorry!

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
David P

November 22, 2008 1:30 am

I have been a CMR pharma rep for eight years calling on hospitals. Both mom and dad are MD's and believe I'm in a honorable business. Dad says " Physicians need pharma and pharma needs physicians " There is a symbiotic relationship that will always exist. Now let me tell you about these earth

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Justice in MI

November 22, 2008 12:23 am

As much as Ed is one of my favorite humans, I realize now the headline is a bit misleading. At least as I understand it, no students are "saying 'no' to conflicts." They are simply asking for disclosure of financial relationships in the context of classroom teaching. Am I missing something?

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Justice in MI

November 22, 2008 12:17 am

Good grief! Nobody is assuming anything about bias, illicit conduct, or anything else. All the students are asking, yet again, is "“a policy addition mandating that faculty and students disclose financial ties to pharmaceutical companies when discussing drugs developed by those companies in the classroom.” Essentially, the same policy now required by most medical

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
Hello

November 22, 2008 12:15 am

The consulting fees etc. are ridiculous. But the claim about dissemination of off-label information is absurd. What the web site refers to is helping companies evaluate the regulatory environment relating to the dissemination of off-label information. There are rules, regulations and court cases about dissemination of such information. In the Washington

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Harvey Gerald

November 21, 2008 10:46 pm

Here is a different viewpoint. I have 35 years experience selling pharmaceuticals, now retired, calling on docs, students, and those professors who work in the Boston hospitals and clinics. I had contact with the Dean of Harvard Medical School when he had a lab in the rear of the Beth Israel Hospital (long before he

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Ironic

November 21, 2008 10:35 pm

To the 1st year resident. Working with the pharmaceutical industry in your third year is part of your education. It is naive to think that because the institution does not have guidlines as to how you should interact with the pharceutical company's does not reflect well on the level of common sense a third year

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Kirby

November 21, 2008 9:32 pm

The Pharma industry did it. Too many young, Barbie and Ken dolls who "parrot messages" and do not understand medicine have corrupted the industry. I don't blame Medical Schools for closing their doors to these clueless reps who waste people's time on their trite marketing messages instead of scientific discussions. As far as disclosing

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Justice in MI

November 21, 2008 8:45 pm

Here is what the students are asking for as summarized in the Crimson article: "a policy addition mandating that faculty and students disclose financial ties to pharmaceutical companies when discussing drugs developed by those companies in the classroom." Rather than trash students (most of those involved are not "white," btw), why don't y'all good old boys

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
ART

November 21, 2008 8:30 pm

These schools kill me, they ask for support from pharma, what to be involved in research yet want nothing to do with us. Are these med students not bright enough to just learn and do what is best for the patients

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
atlex

November 21, 2008 8:19 pm

Anon., I will not identify the specific company I work for since I have no authority nor desire to act as an official spokesperson. I am careful not to comment on individual company issues; instead I focus on broader industry issues. Please define for me "large fraction of their income." And, what do you do

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
laurie

November 21, 2008 7:10 pm

"And all four, including Goodwin, declared that worries about the drugs have been overblown" And yet, they still sleep well at night.

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Compulsive Gambler Wins Lawsuit Over Mirapex
- July 31, 2008
alison

November 21, 2008 7:07 pm

5 weeks ago my life changed. i had for the previous 3 years taken a drug called Cabaser which is another dopamine agonist. This drug was for the treatment of restless legs syndrome and is manufactured by Pfizer. I too found the information on the drug and the link to pathological gambling through the internet

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
eugene

November 21, 2008 6:57 pm

I don't mind a bunch of kids given an opportunity to speak their mind. but they are totally uneducated on the topics. the med students i've encountered just "parrot" the messages they've been told to say. someone tells them what to think and they don't get the opportunity to hear the other side of the story.

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What Is Wrong With This Picture?
- November 10, 2008
no name

November 21, 2008 6:29 pm

yes I would give it to my kid if he was in pain! What would you give your child after a surgery? Tylenol?Rather my child not be in pain.What do you think they get after surgery?

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
Anon.

November 21, 2008 6:27 pm

Atlex, To get back on subject this is really about a situation where someone is making a larger fraction of their income based on honoraria, plus it's clear that he's promoting things offlabel where there clearly isn't the scientific or clinical justification. In fact recommended treatments from his company best practices is often linked to

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Kick their lilly white asses

November 21, 2008 6:20 pm

These freakin' pie in the sky idealists don't have a clue. I only wish the pharma industry said F* U* to Harvard. MGH and B&G would be laughing stocks in 2 years (even w/ their endowments) while other medical schools of higher learning in the USA would thrive knowing that you do not to slay

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
Anon.

November 21, 2008 6:19 pm

I was not seeing patients when I gave the talk so the issue is moot. The talk I gave was the same one I gave my students even before I was approached. In fact it was an invite by a professional society and the drug sponsor just happened to be picking up the check for

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McKesson Settles Wholesale Pricing Suit For $350M
- November 21, 2008
Steve Berman

November 21, 2008 6:10 pm

Hi Ed – I’m Steve Berman, managing partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro. I read your post on the McKesson settlement and I’d like to point you in the direction of my blog; www.classactionlawtoday.com. Today I commented on the landmark settlement and the role of private litigation in instigating change. I encourage your comments on

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Worst Practice? Senate Probes NPR Host’s Firm
- November 21, 2008
Anonymous

November 21, 2008 5:57 pm

A Republican exposing big business interests? Say it ain't so? NPR I guess overlooked his credentials?

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Johnson & Johnson Angers Moms With Motrin Ad
- November 17, 2008
MT

November 21, 2008 5:27 pm

The main thing is- don't put people down and humiliate them in order to sell something. It is an ancient, crusty old way of doing business. I never used a stroller for my 3 kids. Never needed pain med's of any kind. Mothers all over the world carry babies next to them.

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Psychotic Reaction: Treating ADHD In Maine
- November 20, 2008
Rena Goodrich

November 21, 2008 5:22 pm

You know it's extremely bad when even the FDA is objecting!

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Justice in MI

November 21, 2008 5:19 pm

As someone who teaches students of the age John is referring, and younger, I suggest he actually talk sometime with with these folks. They are not "kids." And, as for studying and thinking hard and well, a great many could lap most of the people on this blog (including me) many times. Anyway, I thought student-trashing

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Pharma Bigs Meet To Plot Their Obama Strategy
- November 20, 2008
Justice in MI

November 21, 2008 5:12 pm

This a kind of follow to Jaynesday's comment. I think it is precisely because of the all the good that pharma does - and the responsibility that goes with it - that makes so many furious when trust is genuinely betrayed. I know that outrage is shared by many in industry as well,

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Pharma Bigs Meet To Plot Their Obama Strategy
- November 20, 2008
Ex-Pharma Rep

November 21, 2008 5:00 pm

As an ex-Pharma rep who worked in the industry for a long time, I can tell you that not all that Pharma does is bad. They actually do a lot of good too. The problem is, like the banking industry, the CEOs/Execs have gotten greedy at the expense of the consumers and the little people

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
John

November 21, 2008 4:45 pm

Wow, Med school must be a breeze nowadays. Looks like these kids have enough time to study and protest. As for David Tian, who has been in med school all of 3 mos which is the extent of his medical experience, perhaps you should be studying more anatomy and physiology instead

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Psychotic Reaction: Treating ADHD In Maine
- November 20, 2008
Lowell

November 21, 2008 4:22 pm

Its as simple as this. Research it. Get the video titled Vaccination The Hiddens Truth. The main reason kids today have epidemic levels of ADHA, hyperactivity disorders, (maybe as well) bipolar, behavioral disorder, to include autism, is because of the growing number endless childhood vaccinations. Repeated activation of the brains microglia (sp?), which is part

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Secret Pharma Payments To Vermont Docs Disclosed
- November 4, 2008
Rob McWaters

November 21, 2008 4:03 pm

As a receiver of drugs prescribed by my health care providers I have a good amount of faith in what they prescribe for me. I do expect them to be aware of any potential side affects versus the good those drugs could do in my individual circumstances. Most business sales persons dealing with clients

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
atlex

November 21, 2008 4:01 pm

Anon., I answered your question,; now will you answer mine. Twenty years ago, did you let your patients know that you were taking money to speak on behalf of pharma? Atlex

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
atlex

November 21, 2008 3:58 pm

Anon., As a regular here, I think most other regulars are well aware that I work in Big Pharma. I've made no bones about it. So, your last honoraria was 20 years ago. How can you confidently suggest that the system works in any way like it did then? For instance, I

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
John

November 21, 2008 3:04 pm

Once again, NPR gets away with allowing people to spatter the airwaves with rubbish and nothing is done. Something akin to "ALL FRAUDS CONSIDERED".

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
Anon.

November 21, 2008 2:48 pm

The last honorarium I received was $500 over 20 years ago. Since then all my talks have been gratis and I disclose all potential conflicts. What about you Atlex, do you receive any money either directly or indirectly from Pharma, and do you disclose potential conflicts? Anon.

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
Joanne

November 21, 2008 2:29 pm

Three Questions: (1)Is Goodwin a D(emocrat? Whenever I see a Republican (Grassley)criticizing someone a bout "ties to something" it's usually politically motivated and not for any cause for humanity. (2) How many ties to big pharma does Grassley have. Elephants seem to have long and deep connections to pharmas. (3) Oh pleasd, Oh please

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Psychotic Reaction: Treating ADHD In Maine
- November 20, 2008
Bruce

November 21, 2008 1:47 pm

ABILIFY SOME WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis: Increased incidence of cerebrovascular adverse events (eg, stroke, transient ischemic attack, including fatalities) • Suicidality and Antidepressants: Increased risk of suicidality in children, adolescents, and young adults with Major Depressive Disorder • Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: Manage with immediate discontinuation and close monitoring • Tardive Dyskinesia: Discontinue if clinically appropriate

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Mark

November 21, 2008 1:35 pm

I guess they won't be sending out all those letters to Pharma asking for $10,000 unrestricted educational grants to support their next educational confrence in Aruba.

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Psychotic Reaction: Treating ADHD In Maine
- November 20, 2008
Margaret

November 21, 2008 1:35 pm

I don't know what harpy is trying to say. And as for Abilify , they are doing DTC ads to take it for depression. This is against the law: As far as I know it has not been approved for depression. I am happy the FOX segment showed the boys with breasts that

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
Margaret

November 21, 2008 1:29 pm

Disgusting. Go Grassley. Go Waxman. And Go Pediatric Advisory Committee that stood up to the FDA the other day regarding the scandalous use of atypical antipsychotics for children. Dr. Laughren, who said - basically, that, oh dear nothing could be done, needs to be sent to trial for all his conflicts of

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
Hilary Smith

November 21, 2008 1:27 pm

Did you know that only the US and New Zealand allow pharmaceuticals to advertise directly to consumers? There is no check on corporate authority in this country and in the world.

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Talk Is Not Cheap: NPR Host Has Ties To Pharma
- November 21, 2008
atlex

November 21, 2008 1:24 pm

Anon, Are you telling all of your patients that you accepted money from Big Pharma? Shouldn't you be transparent? By the way, what amount of money is acceptable? You obviously have an answer? $1? $100? $1000? $1M? Do you exempt clinical studies? How about providing input in the clinical development phase? Atlex

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Harvard Med School Students Say ‘No’ To Conflicts
- November 21, 2008
Margaret

November 21, 2008 1:21 pm

Way to go, kids. Maybe you can cause CHANGE, just as you did with our president-elect. Good work. As to it being a "university hiring issue", it is true that the medical profession has a feeble ethic, depending on where one looks, but look at the crew at the FDA the other

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Psychotic Reaction: Treating ADHD In Maine
- November 20, 2008
harpy

November 21, 2008 12:55 pm

"the meds can cause weight gain and metabolic disorders" Perhaps you missed soemthing.

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