In a recent LA Times article, it was reported that Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff, a psychiatrist at Emory University, is being tied to conflict of interest allegations. He had apparently received $2.8 million "from companies whose drugs he was evaluating" and did not report all of his earnings. One of his donors is the drug company GlaxoSmithKline who had given him money while he was studying five of the company's drugs which was claimed to treat depression. He had also received large sums of money for giving speeches to fellow doctors despite signing "university documents pledging to accept no more than $10,000 a year from any one company."
Despite the depth of Dr Nemeroff's case, his situation is not an isolated one. Just as corporations and special interests are lobbying government officials to do favors for them, drug companies are pampering doctors in exchange for their support and favor of a certain drug. This is a growing trend in the medical field, although not all doctors engage in this dubious practice.
Now, I am one to tend towards a free market system, in which government has a limited role. I do believe, however, that government has the duty to protect the public from health risks and fraud. I believe that if any doctor or company exaggerates and falsifies their claims about the efficacy of a medicine, they should be persecuted under federal law. I do not care how much drug companies pay off doctors, but there should be strong punishments for any physician or company who makes fraudulent claims about their products.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-sci-doctors4-2008oct04,0,6123791.story
PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thruartisticeyes/2120216212/
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