Are pharmacists the most defensive, insular and change resistant of all the health professions? asks Melissa Sweet.
Pharmaceutical industry
Diary of a Surgeon: Doctors on the market?
Marketing of products is something all surgeons must live with on a daily basis. Representatives visiting and discussing new products is appropriate. Free giveaways are not, writes Professor Guy Maddern.
Self-regulation of pharma industry isn’t working
A forum of experts last night warned that self-regulation by the pharmaceutical industry was not effective, writes Dr Ken Harvey.
Pfizer’s campaign to drug as many smokers as possible
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is running a major campaign to convince Australian smokers that they should not try to quit without taking anti-smoking medication, writes Simon Chapman.
Investigative journalism is the right medicine for an ailing media
An expose by NYT journalist Duff Wilson exposing some very unhealthy links between Harvard Medical School and Big Pharma and its subsequent attempts to silence critics demonstrates the critical need for good investigative reporting.
Big Pharma pushing the pens on medical literature
Newly revealed court papers show that pharmaceutical companies paid ghostwriters to contribute to 26 papers published in medical journals supporting hormone replacement therapy, which was subsequently found to increase the risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia.
Scepticism can limit your options when it comes to medicine
Even a bullshit detector crusade can reach such a fever pitch that it becomes a religion itself, writes Julian Zytnik.
Baker drug deal found in breach
For every Plavix script in 2009, Sanofi-Aventis agreed to donate 25 cents to support the Baker’s research and health programs. Upshot? A slap on the wrist and a $25,000 fine.
Time for MDs to get out of bed with drug companies
Despite their closeness, doctors and drug companies are becoming increasingly uneasy bedfellows, with calls from the very top of the global medical profession for a major clean-up.
It’s time to put the community into “community” pharmacy
The next Community Pharmacy Agreement with the Pharmacy Guild is a perfect opportunity for Health Minister Nicola Roxon to bring the consumer voice in from the margin, writes Michael Johnston.
It’s time for better regulation of complementary medicine
complementary medicine is big business and the days of it being dominated by passionate practitioners setting up small family businesses are long gone, writes Jon Wardle.
