Editorial Note: This is the first of four posts about the link between Sense about Science and AllTrials triggered by the post Fucked and comments afterward by Ben Goldacre, Tracey Brown and others which raised these links. My first contact with Sense about Science was linked to the Simon Singh affair. Singh had made some relatively innocuous statements about chiropractic and … [Read more...] about Sense about Science: Follow the Rhetoric
Uncategorized
Trudo Lemmens of the University of Toronto critiques the recently distributed draft EMA Clinical Trials Data Release Policy
(First published in the PLOS Blog. Click here for the original post.) Things were looking good recently in Europe for data transparency, a necessary, albeit not sufficient, tool to promote integrity of pharmaceutical data. The European Court’s Vice-President overturned in November 2013 two lower court interim suspensions of EMA’s data access decision in relation to Abbvie’s … [Read more...] about Trudo Lemmens of the University of Toronto critiques the recently distributed draft EMA Clinical Trials Data Release Policy
Motivational Interviewing
Editorial Note: Motivational interviewing began as a technique to help opiate or nicotine addicts or alcoholics. The idea was to move them through contemplation of the possibility of change, to having an action plan and then acting. It recognized that there was no point just arguing that addiction was wrong - you had to understand a person as well as they understood themselves … [Read more...] about Motivational Interviewing
Fucked
Editorial Note: Apologies for the Language A year and a half ago this blog ran a series of posts about access to clinical trial data – reporting on how industry were going to engineer the appearances of transparency. See Won't get Fooled Again, Access to Clinical Trial Data, and The Data Access Wars. Do academics have wild dreams? Several months later, soon after being fined … [Read more...] about Fucked
Eastern Health Meets Western Industry
Editorial Note: It's common to find those behind Global Mental Health say that they might not originally have believed in the reality of mental illness and the efficacy of treatment but they do now. This and two following position pieces don't come from the same conversion perspective. I have always believed in the reality of mental illness and the efficacy of treatment. … [Read more...] about Eastern Health Meets Western Industry
The Macbeth Test
Editorial Note: No one outside the UK may be paying any heed to the all-consuming debate within Britain about the referendum on the future of Scotland. Everything comes back to this. Corporations have been saying they'll pull out if Scotland leaves the UK (Standard Life) or that they'd prefer if Scotland left (British Airways). The EU have said Scotland would have to wait 5 … [Read more...] about The Macbeth Test
Somatic Symptom Disorder
Editorial Note: Richard commented on Peter Gøtzsche's recent post Psychiatry Gone Astray. He was invited to develop his comment and does so here. My name is Richard Lawhern. I advocate for nearly 5,000 chronic pain patients as a volunteer moderator and content writer at "Living With TN", a social networking website. We support people with Trigeminal Neuralgia - the worst pain … [Read more...] about Somatic Symptom Disorder
Get Real: Peter Gøtzsche Responds
Editorial Note: Two weeks ago we ran Peter Gøtzsche's Psychiatry Gone Astray. There was a context - a Danish doctor had been found responsible for the suicide of a young man put on antidepressants. This and Peter's article stirred up debate in Denmark drawing a hard to credit defensive response from senior Danish Psychiatrists. Peter's blog was critiqued by George Dawson on … [Read more...] about Get Real: Peter Gøtzsche Responds
Sexual Dysfunction Enduring After Treatment Halts: s-DEATH
Editorial note: This post is copied from RxISK where there will be 5 posts this week on aspects of Enduring Sexual Dysfunction after treatment, covering the issues below. Wikipedia stumbles and falls Wikipedia used to host a valued page on Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD). On January 27th this was taken down. A Post-Finasteride Syndrome page has also been taken down. … [Read more...] about Sexual Dysfunction Enduring After Treatment Halts: s-DEATH
The Devil’s Disclaimer
Editorial Note: The marketing of pharmaceuticals avails of something given to no other area of marketing - the product is made available on prescription-only. In this post Johanna Ryan, from RxISK's Community Advisory Board, spells out the risks this gives rise to. This is a theme that has come up often and one we will return to. Direct to consumers? If you live in the USA, I … [Read more...] about The Devil’s Disclaimer