Massachusetts General Hospital on Friday disclosed sanctions against three psychiatrists for violating hospital ethics guidelines by failing to adequately report, internally, seven-figure payments they received from drug companies. Drs. Joseph Biederman, Thomas Spencer and Timothy Wilens disclosed the disciplinary actions against them in a note to colleagues. According to a copy of the note made public upon request by the hospital, the three doctors:
Probably more important than Biederman-et-al’s punishment is Harvard’s new Conflict of Interest Policy adopted in the wake of Dr. Biederman’s outing by Senator Grassley and his staff. It’s long and detailed, but seems to cover most of the bases. Like his comrades [Nemeroff, Schatzberg, Rush, Keller], Biederman still has an academic appointment. In a rational world, they should’ve been fired to a man. But we’re still not yet that rational. Hopefully, that’s where we’re headed in the future.
Great timing that you are writing this Childhood Bipolar series when this news came out. I called Harvard 3 years ago asking about the outcome, and was told that reprimands would happen, but who knew it would be this long waiting!
PS and thanks so much for the hat tip, I appreciate it.
Another link to round out the understanding of the childhood bipolar frenzy is to look at
http://www.bpkids.org/learn/library/pediatric-mania-a-developmental-subtype-of-bipolar-disorder
That is the premiere support group for parents of bipolar children. Its been around since a bit before 1999, and touted having the leading experts in the field. They have a scientific council (Biederman is on that) full of COI KOLs. The link is to a an article they host for parents….take a look at the names of the authors (the 3 sanctioned today) and the entire article will give a feel of how serious these ppl are about the dx and no child is too young to receive it!
Once you understand how entrenched the diagnosis is in ppl’s belief system (the parents who believe in it are serious about that and the drugs) you’ll see how it’s fueled, by KOLs. by pharma attached to the KOLs, to the fundraisers promoting saving kids lives….the talons are in deep in America’s youth, and I strongly feel this is time for people to take note of how the drugs are being dosed out quickly, kids are on antipsychotics and other psych meds more than ever, and we have a generation of children who will no longer have a
BASELINE for doctors to see who the child is before meds….. that is a real tragedy and one ppl dont think about.
Just short of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, just think about how kids are drugged as toddlers, 5 yr olds, teens and then we wonder why kids are no longer the kind of kids we all remember, they are drugged to the eyeballs, and some left w permanent damage.
PBS Frontline Medicated Child depicts that reality.
Also the new book out by Kaplan “Your child is not bipolar” can lead more insight as Whitaker’s can as well.
Stephany, you sure don’t sound like a conspiracy theorist to me. Many thanks to you and 1boringoldman for the work you do!
I’d love to know who Harvard thinks can “train” Joe Biederman! And I’d give anything to be a fly on the wall of those training sessions!!!
RIGHTEOUS! Even though I was lucky enough not to get sucked into the childhood bipolar vortex (thank GOD), I can still feel this victory very deeply. I agree with the ‘man that this is just a prelude of better things to come, and hopefully this disciplinary action will make it that much easier for the bloggers and people like Robert Whitaker to tear the lid off the corruption of the last 30 years of psychiatry once and for all.
You are so right, Tom! Wouldn’t you love to see who gets stuck with training “God”?? I understood at some point that the DSM5 committee was considering getting rid of Narcissistic Personality Disorder; guess it’s because too many of these guys deserve that diagnosis. I just do not understand how Harvard continues to keep him in his position.
Here are some ditties that capture the matter.
http://www.margaretsoltan.com/?p=31345
SG–
If you think the corruption exists ONLY in the psychiatric arena, I believe your are wrong. 1boringoldman has done a stellar job of shining the light . . . and while other MD’s, in other fields, KNOW about the corruption, if all fields of medicine (and attendant corruption by BigPharma/BigInsurance) were comprehensively exposed, our national healthcare costs might indeed be lower. NO ONE would trust doctors at all (painting with a very broad brush here).
Re Peggi comment, thank you, I appreciate it.
I also would love to know the ‘training’ Biederman has to do (prob nothing in all reality). Take notes from a lecture ran by Nemeroff? lol
At the end of the day life goes on as usual the kids still eat the drugs the mothers and fathers believe the information presented by a host of helping agencies sprung from a well of pharma money and influence a spring that runs back to Biederman’s work on bipolar kids. No place does it say is work is corrupt his theories wrong or tainted by the bucks he was paid.
THE KIDS ARE STILL BEING DRUGGED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE
This is not a victory this is closing the door after the horses are out too little too late.
“Biederman and Wilens took money from drug giant Eli Lilly at the same time they were being paid by the National Institutes of Health to study an Eli Lilly drug”
but their work stands no do over for the projects they worked on. Maybe I am too suspicious but I don’t buy not for a minute. Let them go to work for pharma like all the old FDA bag men.