“Of course Adriane Fugh-Berman is correct that we need to bite something tender and to get out of that lap.
But we are fighting the wrong beast. The beast is not the pharmaceutical industry – it is ourselves.
We, as doctors, have created the atmosphere which has allowed companies to malfunction. We have allowed industry to subvert the rules of science . We have watched quietly as governments and academics have colluded with industry to hide information critical to our patients. We have remained silent as our medical schools have churned out graduates who have no knowledge of the dilemmas and scandals of medicine. We have allowed many of our medical journals to become corrupted and timid. We have remained silent as the General Medical Council and other bodies charged with maintaining integrity have taken action against doctors for raising questions of integrity, while ignoring serious concerns brought to their attention. We have failed to support our colleagues who have raised concerns.
The soft parts that need biting may well be our own.”
BY: Dr Aubrey Blumsohn. Consultant, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, UK
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