The Selling of ADHD: Diagnoses, Prescriptions Soar After 20-Year Marketing Effort by Big Pharma

[marmar]

Pt. I

Pt. II

Published on Dec 17, 2013

http://www.democracynow.org - Taken at face value, the latest figures on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) suggest a growing epidemic in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 15 percent of high school children are diagnosed with ADHD. The number of those on stimulant medication is at 3.5 million, up from 600,000 two decades ago. ADHD is now the second most common long-term diagnosis in children, narrowly trailing asthma. But a new report in the New York Times questions whether these staggering figures reflect a medical reality, or an over-medicated craze that has earned billions in profits for the pharmaceutical companies involved.
Sales for ADHD drugs like Adderall and Concerta topped $9 billion in the United States last year, a more than 500 percent jump from a decade before. The radical spike in diagnoses has coincided with a 20-year marketing effort to promote stimulant prescriptions for children struggling in school, as well as for adults seeking to take control of their lives. The marketing effort has relied on studies and testimonials from a select group of doctors who have received massive speaking fees and funding grants from major pharmaceutical companies. We are joined by four guests: Alan Schwarz, an award-winning reporter who wrote the New York Times piece, "The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder"; Jamison Monroe, a former teenage Adderall addict who now runs Newport Academy, a treatment center for teens suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues; Dr. Gabor Maté, a physician and bestselling author of four books, including "Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It"; and John Edwards, the father of a college student who committed suicide after he was prescribed Adderall and antidepressant medications at the Harvard University Health Services clinic.

[solarhydrocan]

1. At least Big Pharma wouldn't do anything like bribe doctors to sell more drugs

Nope. Nothing like that at all.

GlaxoSmithKline to stop paying doctors to promote drugs
Tue, Dec 17, 2013, 08:22 irishtimes.com

http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.1630704.1387268576!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_620_330/image.jpg

Firm also plans to stop tying compensation of sales reps to prescriptions written

GlaxoSmithKline has said it will stop paying doctors to promote its products and tying compensation of sales representatives to the number of prescriptions doctors write. It also plans to stop payments to healthcare professionals for attendance at medical conferences by the start of 2016.

The move comes amid a major bribery investigation in China, where authorities allege Britain’s biggest drugmaker made corrupt payments to doctors and officials to boost its drug sales.

Chinese police have accused GSK of funneling up to 3 billion yuan (€358 million) to travel agencies to facilitate bribes to boost its drug sales. The accusations are the most serious against a multinational in China in years.

Andrew Witty, Glaxo’s chief executive, said the proposed changes were unrelated to the investigation in China, but part of an effort to stay in step with how the world is changing.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?435840-GlaxoSmithKline-to-stop-paying-doctors-to-promote-drugs&p=5344566#post5344566

These criminals deserve to be in jail

GlaxoSmithKline fined $3bn after bribing doctors to increase drugs sales
The Guardian, Tuesday 3 July 2012

Sales reps in the US encouraged to mis-sell antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin and asthma treatment Advair

The pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline has been fined $3bn (£1.9bn) after admitting bribing doctors and encouraging the prescription of unsuitable antidepressants to children. Glaxo is also expected to admit failing to report safety problems with the diabetes drug Avandia in a district court in Boston on Thursday.

The company encouraged sales reps in the US to mis-sell three drugs to doctors and lavished hospitality and kickbacks on those who agreed to write extra prescriptions, including trips to resorts in Bermuda, Jamaica and California.

The company admitted corporate misconduct over the antidepressants Paxil and Wellbutrin and asthma drug Advair.......Despite the large fine, $3bn is far less than the profits made from the drugs. Avandia has made $10.4bn in sales, Paxil took $11.6bn, and Wellbutrin sales were $5.9bn during the years covered by the settlement, according to IMS Health, a data group that consults for drug makers.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jul/03/glaxosmithkline-fined-bribing-doctors-pharmaceuticals

Johnson & Johnson agrees to settle with SEC & DOJ for $70 million
http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/huge-bribery-fine

Drug Company Accused of Bribing Doctors
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=131602

Bribery And Corruption In The Pharmaceutical Sector
http://www.financierworldwide.com/article.php?id=11025

Bribery 'routine' for foreign pharmaceutical firms in China
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23662909

Teva says it may have violated bribery laws around the world
http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/teva-says-it-may-have-violated-bribery-laws-around-world/2013-11-01

[sorefeet]

2. The meth heads here in my small

town have convinced the local quack that they have ADHD and he writes them scripts for Adderall or what ever. Now they take the Adderall AND do crank or sell the Adderall and buy more crank. I call him Bob the slob I have known him for 30 years and he has always done meth. He is a total wreck and you would think that a supposed educated doctor can't visually see the what drugs have done to this guy. But he still writes a script for more dope.