The United Nations has conducted a global survey on deaths by suicide and found that each year it accounted for 800,000 deaths. Whilst the highest rates were in people over 70 it was also the second leading cause of death in those aged 15 to 29 globally. Men...
When you fill up a bucket to the top with water it will start to overflow. Whilst not a perfect analogy this concept comes to mind when one considers the following two trends. The drug quetiapine (Seroquel) is now the “prescription drug of choice” on the street. There...
Earlier this year Prozac celebrated its 25th birthday of being approved for use in the USA. It was the first of a new group of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). From humble beginnings their use has exploded. But is the collective...
This week saw the biggest ever settlement involving the pharmaceutical industry. Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) agreed to pay the US government 3 billion dollars in fines and penalties relating to the marketing of three drugs. Whilst this is a massive amount of money it is...
There is a steady stream of information coming out about the downsides of medications and particularly long term use of medications. Medicines are trialed over relatively short periods of time but can then be taken for five, ten or even twenty years. Trials done over...
