The latest issue of the Health Survey for England provides data on the use of prescribed medicines by people living in the community, which therefore relate to the general population and not just those within the healthcare system. The results are based on information supplied by the individuals themselves rather than the agencies responsible for …
Anyone reading a scientific paper in a reputable journal which uses a peer-review system expects the information to be reliable and objective. Unfortunately this is not necessarily the case because there is now convincing evidence that the pharmaceutical industry devotes huge resources to influencing the way in which the material is presented with particular reference …
137. Corruption of the Scientific Literature: Ghost Writing Read More »
There is now convincing evidence that the manufacturers of drugs are absolutely unscrupulous in the way in which their products are marketed. Invariably the benefits are emphasised and overplayed while any side-effects are minimized. However all drugs have to be thoroughly tested and evaluated before they can be granted approval by the authorities. But questions …
135. Spin and Bias in Reporting Trials on Pharmaceuticals Read More »
One of the key issues to emerge from the recent spat between Sir Rory Collins and the BMJ about statins (1) has been the refusal of the Cholesterol Treatments Trialists’ Collaboration (CTT) at Oxford University to allow open access to the original clinical trial data. The independent panel set up by the editor of the …