What’s your blood count? Blood pressure? Bone density? PSA? If it is abnormal, odds are that you will want it to be normal. In doing so, you are making the same leap of faith that your doctor is making when he commences treatment: that treating the numbers will...
A US appeals court has overturned a conviction of a former drug rep for encouraging doctors to prescribe a drug “off label”. The court ruled this violated the First amendment rights and that the federal government had failed to show his comments were false. I am no...
Every prescription drug (or over-the-counter medication) in your bathroom cabinet is there because it’s been evaluated in research called a clinical trial. For a basic introduction to clinical trials, let’s turn to former editor-in-chief of the prestigious New England...
**Whilst this article is written by an American about the US system most of the issues apply in other countries too. ** – Dr Joe Pardon the expletives, I have been wanting to share some thoughts and frustrations about healthcare that I have seen arise over the...
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...
