Continuing in the field of medicine and health research, this article from the Guardian exposes a fundamental challenge to meaningful scientific progress. The disclosure requirements for medical research studies are shockingly low, and as a result, unfavorable study results never see the light of day. As the article demonstrates, this is profoundly unethical as it prevents doctors and patients from making truly informed decisions about the benefits and risks of medications. However, it also hinders the broader scientific community that would benefit from having a greater knowledge of what works and what doesn't. Instead, we get uncoordinated and often unnecessary research that does little to benefit patients in the short- or long-term. While obviously there are concerns about proprietary information for pharmaceutical companies that spend billions on research, that's not an excuse when a drug is being marketed and administered to actual human patients. Sadly, when so much money is at stake, human health often becomes a secondary concern.
"The drugs don't work: a modern medical scandal" by Ben Goldacre
Published in the Guardian, September 21, 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/sep/21/drugs-industry-scandal-ben-goldacre?CMP=twt_gu
Eric
No comments:
Post a Comment