David Healy
Trussed in Evidence
Tuesday, 8 April 2008, Large Operon, 16:00 h
David Healy, North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine Cardiff University
Abstract Background
There has been recent concern about interactions between academia and the pharmaceutical industry. In this seminar I will explore the basis for the current sense of crisis.
Methods
The approach taken is historical.
Results
The analysis outlines the roles that brands, patents, and the control of the scientific literature play in the current marketing of psychotropic drugs, and describes the processes of guideline capture and brand fascism.
Conclusion
The analysis makes it difficult to see current interactions between industry and academia as anything but bad for academia. One option that might restore some balance would be to restrict scientific meetings and journals to communications that made all relevant scientific data available, and exclude exercises that restrict access to data.