Withholding facts: In WHOSE best interest??

Good morning,

Chris here, (retired doc , non psych, UK )

Have a cup of coffee and read on...

This post is not meant to be 'political' . That would be inappropriate and out of character for me but  it is written with some powerful feeling (and too many words), as a knee jerk response to recent news I was directed to by a blog on another sz site.

Cause for concern.... powerful drug companies withholding , and publishing incomplete research results* , while the prescriptions  and resultant income  to the pharmaceutical  companies swell exponentially, being prescribed widely in larger, often younger populations not always 'on licence' .

*'doctored' by selective inclusion  omitting some worrying side effects in certain populations).

What rightly inflamed the blogger ...The patronising 'excuse' they use is that the vulnerable population ,ie patients,  or,subliminally not spelled out but implied... the wider population!! (that old myth brought in) , will be at risk if patients stop their medication without advice.

( I use the verb ' to doctor' here sadly as the antithesis of all implied in the Hippocratic oath, as I understand it.) No wonder trust is lost if there is a perceived link beween drug companies and physicians)

Can we expect honesty from such commercial interests, especially in these increasingly, (desperately?) competitive  and financially uncertain times??

Of course we should 'expect' moral integrity, but human experience should tell us it needs to be built into the strength of totally independent protective regulations FDA,etc 'with teeth', to look after interests of patients.

Similarly, informed medical decisions need to be made, weighing up risks versus benefits for each individual at a given time. This is best done by ongoing honest discussion/partnership between person and possibly  advocate, when very vulnerable and their doctor. Trust is vital and needs to be earned. All relevant information should be to hand. Reviews may be needed regularly. Not a 'blinkered' we know best approach.

This sort of news undermines such trust, which is very sad.

Good doctors will need to work even harder, and take more time, to keep their patient' s trust and confidence, to engender  a feeling of person to person partnership and that there can be  better prospects  and health ahead. Everyone should have the right to that.

Off my soap box now!

The news must be widespread in the US but I came across this overview under the title 'Seroquel maker tries to seal info from you "for you " ' 

www.tampabay.com/news/health/article976067.ece

Sorry I must learn how to do links properly!

Chris,

UK