Friday, February 13, 2004

A Plea for Biased Information
"Medscape Psychopharmacology Today" column by Thomas A. M. Kramer, MD in Medscape General Medicine - " There is increasing concern and disdain among practitioners of psychopharmacology about information provided to us from the pharmaceutical industry as a function of their marketing efforts. Some practitioners will not talk to pharmaceutical representatives for fear of receiving biased information. I struggle with this attitude. Although it is clearly true that the accuracy and integrity of information varies and some sources are better than others, I have always found that more information is better when one is trying to make decisions about anything, including prescribing psychotropics. I have never been impressed that ignorance is bliss, or even useful or protective of something. To a certain extent, all information is subject to some bias from its source. The only questions are how much bias, and what it is biased toward or against." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

States cut back on prescription aid
Page at the NAMI web site - "Recent reports show that some states are looking to cut back on prescription drug assistance for the elderly and to encourage the use of the Internet to import prescription drugs from Canada—as cost cutting measures. With all states facing pressure to improve their economic condition by tightening budgets, these quick-fix measures are under consideration across the U.S.; however, the long term effects of these proposed budget solutions may in fact negate any short-term gains." The material at the NAMI site is in turn based on a summary in the February 9 Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report.  
  

Antidepressant test sees fifth suicide
Brief AP news story reprinted at PsycPORT - "Drug maker Eli Lilly has been ordered to stop taking new patients for the trial of an antidepressant after a fifth person committed suicide. The New York Times reported Traci Johnson, 19, hanged herself during the weekend at the company's Indianapolis dormitory-like laboratory. She did not leave a note. She was one of 25 healthy patients at the clinic who were being given larger than therapeutic doses of duloxetine, which will be known as Cymbalta if it is introduced as an antidepressant. Four days before her death, Johnson was taken off Cymbalta and given a placebo." See also the AP story Nearly One-Fifth Drop Out of Lilly Antidepression Drug Tests, reprinted at InteliHealth, and the story in the New York Times, Student, 19, in Trial of New Antidepressant Commits Suicide. [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].