Oh dear, yet another off-topic matter. This one has nothing, not directly anyhow, with our main topics of prostate cancer and cancer in general but it is crucial to our knowledge and understanding of the close, symbiotic relationship between drug suppliers and doctors. Read between the lines of this article from the UK Guardian Newspaper and you will soon realize why some doctor’s continue to prescribe drugs that have been reported to be ineffective or even detrimental to one’s health.

My message here would be that it is advisable, nay essential, for each individual to carry out his or her own research into any drugs prescribed and to take a second opinion if in doubt. Of course, this cautious approach will also help identify genuine errors made by doctor’s as well as the willful ones…

Drug giants accused over doctors’ perks
# Sarah Boseley and Rob Evans
# The Guardian,
# Saturday August 23 2008

Drug companies are spending millions of pounds every year on all-expenses-paid trips to conferences around the world for doctors and other hospital staff, in what critics say is a massive marketing exercise dressed up as medical education.

The Guardian can reveal the scale of pharmaceutical company sponsorship following an examination of the registers of gifts and donations to doctors that all hospitals are required to keep. They show considerable largesse - from drug companies regularly picking up hefty bills for travel to international conferences in Europe, Asia and America, to specialist nurses’ salaries, and weekly sandwich lunches for hospital staff training sessions.

You will find the article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/aug/23/health.pharmaceuticals

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