Heres an example of why we cant totally rely upon or trust 100% whats published in studies and articles. If you aren't aware of this practice, then it's time for another Awareness update, which, as most of you know is my mission: To Create Awareness.
In this very interesting observation, The Specter of Ghostwritten Studies, Julie Kotter of Townsend Letter offers a brief but pointed summary about which many have been warning for a very long time.
This helps explain why it seems that some of the skeletons are falling out of the closet as so many newer drugs are being recalled, the research data reviewed and the findings are indicating that important facts were ignored or minimized so as not to appear detrimental or cause a delay in rushing a new, lucrative drug to market. Only after the drugs reached the consumer guinea pigs (aka healthcare consumers) have severe side affects, including death, have been brought to light as the research is investigated.
She says:
...."The use of ghostwriters uncredited contributors to a published article is not new. Like conscious and unconscious manipulation of study data and design, ghostwriting has been one of the hidden skeletons in the research closet. Recent lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies have uncloaked their widespread use of ghostwriting companies, also known as medical communications firms. These companies are charged with getting drug-favorable articles into prestigious journals. They are hired to write deliberately biased articles masquerading as science.
As David H. Freedman says in his article "Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science," "The ultimate protection against research error and bias is supposed to come from the way scientists constantly retest each other's results except they don't. Only the most prominent findings are likely to be put to the test, because there's likely to be publication payoff in firming up the proof, or contradicting it...."
Continue[
www.townsendletter.com]
Scroll down to " The Specter of Ghostwritten Studies" segment.
Very interesting resource links included at the end of the article.
Jackie
