I have written frequently on this website about the hand-in-glove relationship between psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical companies. It is my general position that the business-first orientation of the pharmaceutical companies, coupled with their willingness to pay large sums of money to co-operative psychiatrists, has been, and continues to be, a corrupting influence.
I have recently come across two articles by Carl Elliot, MD, PhD. “How to Get Away with Academic Misconduct at the University of Minnesota,” and “And That’s the News from the Department of Psychiatry.”
The first article describes how Charles Schulz, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at University of Minnesota, was reportedly implicated in deceptive practices carried out by AstraZeneca (a pharmaceutical company); Dr. Elliott laments the lack of action on the part of the university.
The second piece concerns excessive involvement of pharmaceutical researchers in the business of the university’s treatment unit, and possible breaches of confidentiality. Dr. Elliot contends that in this matter also, the university has failed to conduct a thorough investigation.
I strongly recommend both articles. The financial ties between psychiatrists, university research departments, and pharmaceutical companies have reached a point where virtually all research in the psychiatric field has to be considered suspect.