Those of you who don't know Dr. Ben Goldacre - go and buy and read his book "Bad Science", now. It may be a bit Britain focussed for the non-Brits out there, but it is a great introduction on how the media and snake oil salesmen and -women take advantage of us and reading the book and understanding its principles will protect you, your health and your wallet. Ben Goldacre takes on the great manufactroversies, like the one about MMR on his blog, his book, in talks he gives, in wonderful short films on health (for example placebo) and in testimony to the British Parliament, and so his debunking work is directly linked to public health (and vaccines). The BBC have interviewed Ben Goldacre in their "5 Minutes with... series" - have a look at the author (and go get the book if you haven't).
Oh, and should you be tempted to comment "pharma shill" or something the like, read one of the below (paperback out on 27 September 2012) on an empty stomach and call me in the morning...
Oh, and should you be tempted to comment "pharma shill" or something the like, read one of the below (paperback out on 27 September 2012) on an empty stomach and call me in the morning...
In the USA Bad Pharma is being released January 2013. Which is lots quicker than the wait we had for Bad Science.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago when visiting relatives in Denmark and Netherlands I would pop into every bookstore I came across to see if Bad Science made it across the North Sea. Only to be disappointed (I saw lots of Sylvia Brown books for sale). I thought I would find it in the American Book Center in Amsterdam, only to be disappointed to see their spirituality/pseudoscience section was a whole room, and science was just a book case along stair railing.
Dr. Ben Goldacre's book will hopefully get additional publicity and be brought to the attention of the public at large. Big Pharma has indeed perverted the practice of medicine with regard to medication development. This by hiding research and employing "tricks and distortions", and even worse, by repeatedly reengineering the same crap and selling back to us again at an astronomical price. They also monopolize the marketplace and manipulate the market by buying up competitors and shutting down generics. Justice Department anyone?
ReplyDeleteAs for the FDA, I can't even begin to describe what a horrific monstrosity this has evolved into. Out of control bureaucrats using an outdated, misconceived system and being manipulated by many inappropriate outside forces.
Worst of all, the misuse of "evidence based medicine" with statistical shenanigans. The guilty culprits? Both the Government and the health insurance industry. Using it to control the practice of medicine for nothing but profit and financial gain. In the meantime, we physicians are bought up by corporations and private practices are going out of business.
This was a comment posted on below link.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/medicine-is-broken-ben-goldacres-bad-pharma/