Ethical Problems in the Relationship of Psychiatry to the Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

"Psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry have been embarrassed by U.S. senate hearings and a series of articles in the New York Times revealing that a number of prominent psychiatrists have failed to report significant financial conflicts of interest. Harvard research psychiatrists, whose work has encouraged the use of antipsychotic medication in children, failed to report to the university most of their consulting income from pharmaceutical companies, skirting a requirement that involvement in human subjects’ research be free of significant personal industry remuneration. Another research psychiatrist at Emory University did not declare $1.2 million of $2.8 million in industry earnings to his university. An influential psychiatrist who hosted a popular National Public Radio program failed to report $1.3 million in drug company earnings: when the network learned of this conflict, they removed the program from its satellite service. (Harris, 2008a). [...]", p. 1