What is the credibility of medical studies on certain medications?

1. 79

   ICarrieposted 12 years ago

   What is the credibility of medical studies on certain medications?
   
   You read about the fantastic results of some medication, according to a medical study. Then you find out that Dr. X, who is doing the study, received a research grant from  from the manufacture of the company. Does that skew your opinion?

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2. 70

   Terri Meredithposted 12 years ago

   I never accept the PR around new drugs, or old for that matter.  Most studies being accepted by the FDA are those done by the drug companies, themselves.  In addition, there has been instance after instance of fraud, corruption, and graft involved in the approval processes.  All one needs to do it to check out the truth about statin drugs.  It's a travesty and yet most people are completely unaware of how they came to be, that they are manufactured from outright toxic substances, and that they can NOT do what they claim to do.  I could go on and on.  Take a look at the story behind Aspartame (Equal) or fluoride, and do a research on the efficacy (proven, not surmised) of flu vaccines.  Skew my opinion????  That's an understatement.

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3. 60

   sshouse18posted 12 years ago

   Interesting question, ethics certainly are never the strong suit for some of these companies. This is just a self opinion but pharmaceutical companies/paying a doctor for a study can be terrible and you can find countless studies and links about that. There have been numerous investigations where drug companies pay bad doctors or entice them with "free pens" to advocate their "new miracle drug that could have death listed as a side effect for how credible it could be". It does skew my opinion to a great extent because doctors are humans to, subject to the same emotions and vices as us. Of course there are many great drugs that have helped tons of people from studies and that doctor knows more about it than anyone else but there's also a dark side.
   
   On the plus side, "Starting in 2013, all pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers will be required to disclose their physician's payments. That pill you take?   A drug company paid doctors to research it."
   Propublica.org

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