United Sikhs American Psychiatric Association Phases Out Funding Of Sponsored Events By Drug Companies

[Vikram singh]

In March 2009, the American Psychiatric Association announced that it would phase out pharmaceutical funding of continuing medical education seminars and meals at its conventions. However, the decision came only after years of controversial exposure of its conflict of interest with the pharmaceutical industry and the U.S. Senate Finance Committee requesting in July 2008 that the APA provide accounts for all of its pharmaceutical funding. Despite its announcement, within two months, the APA accepted more than $1.7 million in pharmaceutical company funds for its annual conference, held in San Francisco.
Not surprising. In 2002, the APA’s Anand Pandya said that without pharmaceutical industry funds, membership dues could escalate 455% from $540 a year to $3,000. Pandya is president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which in 2009 was also asked to provide records of its pharmaceutical company funding to federal investigators. About 56% of its $12 million-a-year income comes from drug makers (more below).


In DETAIL--->http://www.cchrint.org/cchr-issues/the-corrupt-alliance-of-the-psychiatric-pharmaceutical-industry/

 

[spnadmin]

Vikram ji

I changed the title of the thread to reflect the issues described in the article. For some time now, not only psychiatrists, but also physicians in many other specialties, have been criticized because of the favors and perks gifted to them by drug companies. The drug companies, by offering many different kinds of inducements, can make it difficult for doctors to consider competing medicines and/or therapies. Thus the medical profession loses its scientific objectivity and independence, and this leads to serious conflicts of interest. The matter had become so grave that it invaded the medical insurance industry. That is a story unto itself. Dr. Pandya it appears is president of NAMI, which is a very influential advocacy organization. NAMI advocates for patients, and not for drug companies. This is an important story. It reveals that NAMI also received millions from Drug Companies. Now it seems that Dr. Pandya put his foot down, and thwarted drug companies that have been placing the American Psychiatric Association in a conflict of interest. These companies engage in a kind of influence peddling. Dr. Pandya seems to be turning the tables on the situation, instead of spinning webs of lies and deceit.

IMHO Leave it to a doctor from India to make waves. They are tops!