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EDUCATION AND DEBATE: Barbara Mintzes For and against: Direct to consumer advertising is medicalising normal human experience: For BMJ 2002; 324: 908-909 [Full text]

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And The Drugs May Not Work

Steven R. Sproger   (13 April 2002)

Hope Merchants Telling Fibs

Ned Hoke OMD, L.Ac.   (21 April 2002)

And The Drugs May Not Work 13 April 2002
Steven R. Sproger, Mental Health Consultant, California Department of Health Services 1515 K St.#400,Sacramento, CA 95814,USA Send response to journal: Re: And The Drugs May Not Work	In looking at the studies of drugs for depression, few determine if the subjects or experimenters are truly blinded. The few studies that assessed "blindness" found that almost half of the Ss were NOT blinded. In addition, oftimes the antidepressants are prescribed for transcient discomforts that, possibly should be endured, such as grief reactions after loss. Further, antidepressants that do control depression only do so as long as they re being used. They do not result in permanent improvement as in the case of psychotherapy. I appreciate the debate in the BMJ.
Hope Merchants Telling Fibs 21 April 2002
Ned Hoke OMD, L.Ac., Ecological medicine/private practice Calif/USA Send response to journal: Re: Hope Merchants Telling Fibs	Advertising as public education is a plain fraud. The author's skeptical tones are wholly warranted and seemingly well considered. Already too much "medicine" and medical practice shows too little respect for a thoughtful knowledge transfer enabling the ill to gain benefit through non-drug means. Providing the octane infusion of commercial pharmaceutical advertising to a medically unsophisticated and educationally disenfranchised lay public seems morally unsound and socially irresponsible. Yet seen through the lens of a wishful unfettered capitalist it's an absolutely smashingly good idea.