Cover-Up of Risks Are High In The World Of Published Pharmaceutical Research

Last month I wrote about how the general public blindly trusts medical “research” that is conducted to prove or disprove the safety of drugs. (If you missed it, I’ve provided the link at the end of this article.) Once again, this month, I continue to shed light on the misinformation the general public is subjected to by companies that are far more interested in profiting from their pills than in any real or genuine concern about the well-being of their fellow human beings.

Here is one of the most glaring examples of what I mean. “In 2009, the world of pain medicine was rocked by the revelation that well-known anesthesiologist and researcher Scott Reuben had fabricated data in at least 21 published studies. Having received five research grants from Pfizer to study its drug Celebrex (celecoxib), Reuben went so far in some of the “studies” as to not bother enrolling patients and to make up all of the data. His findings naturally favored Pfizer.” https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/can-we-trust-the-science

I mean, this guy didn’t have to bother with a “cover-up.” He merely made everything up! Can you imagine the damage done? As the reporter states, “These falsified findings influenced surgeons and the way they treated postoperative pain all over the world, affecting the care of millions of patients. Reuben pled guilty to engaging in health care fraud. He was sentenced to six months in prison followed by three years of probation, a $5,000 fine, restitution of $361,932, and forfeiture of $50,000. It’s unclear how much harm was done to patients by Reuben’s fabrications, but experts believe that implementation of his recommendations may have slowed surgical recovery.” https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/can-we-trust-the-science

Awareness of this misconduct must be brought to light. Everyone is being fooled. The doctors often don’t have time to research the research. And, even if they did, if the research has been discredited, it is never retracted or labeled as fraudulent. In fact, “The research studies remain available for the unwary to draw false conclusions regarding treatment safety and effectiveness.”

I’m not suggesting that all research is misleading, but much of it is. Like I pointed out, profit is a more compelling motive for pharmaceutical companies than anything else. And research can be conducted in such a way that always favors the maker. Something to keep in mind if you are taking pills.

Another point to keep in mind is that research does not take into account that patients are individuals with different characteristics and combinations of symptoms, which might have different causes. Research tends to average everyone out. The problem is that treatment decisions that don’t take individual differences into account are less likely to be effective and can cause harm. A safer bet would be to explore methods of treatment that do not depend on drugs or surgeries. Integrative medical doctors, chiropractors and others present alternative methods to health care that actually help you heal.

I want to point out once again that all research is not bad and there has been some incredible progress in all fields of medicine as a result. I have a close friend, Dr. Giordano, who is an incredible cancer researcher, and the world is fortunate to have people of his caliber. My concern is mostly in the pain management sector and unfortunately money will sometime be the blinders to safety.

If you missed last month’s article, you can read the piece here We Tend To Trust Medical Research Without Question And Often At Great Peril.