Editorial Note: This is a Coda to the four posts on davidhealy.org about Sense about Science and AllTrials – Follow the Rhetoric, First Admit no Harm, Follow the Lawsuit and Follow the Patient. It’s running here because it attempts to lay out some of the principles behind RxISK.
The last post ended on this note:
Over 18 months ago, RxISK attempted to open up a debate on the ambiguities and conflicts at its heart. Doing what it does, could it operate as a business in the marketplace or should it be a Foundation or an Occupy your Doctors’ Office movement?
It seems clear that although legally obliged to access any adverse event data they are aware of, pharmaceutical companies seem unlikely to endorse RxISK in the way they have endorsed AllTrials. They seem to be pushing us toward finding something more co-operative – perhaps something that is not out there yet – perhaps something that David Graeber or Thomas Piketty might have views on.
Over the next few weeks on RxISK, we will be featuring a series of just published articles based on RxISK data – one on what is now a Ninety-Nine+ case series of SSRI induced Alcoholism. A second on what is an over one hundred and twenty case series of persisting sexual dysfunction following SSRIs, isotretinoin or finasteride. The third will be on a novel ethical dilemma linked to reports of QT-interval changes.
There are several hundred cases embodied in these articles covering most antidepressants and a number of other drugs. Companies who are interested in the safety of their drugs, or companies simply keeping to the letter of the pharmacovigilance law should be contacting us to enquire further whether their drug was involved , as might also the companies gearing up to market S-3 antagonists for alcoholism. How do we deal with this? Who pays for the work involved in establishing which version of paroxetine was involved?
Quite possibly. Industry can capture almost anything – they may have captured AllTrials. They are making great efforts to capture, defang or otherwise manage patient adverse event reporting systems. GSK’s ability to hide clinical trial data pales compared to the subtlety of their approach to and lengths to which they appear to go to block or otherwise hide adverse event reporting – See American Woman, American Woman 2.
The main tool to move things forward is the RxISK report. When some anomalous event happens on the street, its axiomatic that the police get as many eye-witnesses as they can. In clinical practice this means you don’t want to leave reporting to hurried and disengaged doctors and you definitely don’t want to leave it to pharmaceutical companies for whom collecting details on a case is all about collecting excuses to rule out an effect of their drug.
It makes much more sense if a doctor or pharmacist or nurse comes to an agreed account with the person affected who has usually spent time with the problem and is motivated to nail down what is going on.
It’s about medicine as it needs to be if its going to survive. Leaving reporting to doctors alone has not worked – at present only 1% of adverse events are reported. The question is whether doctors have what it takes to save themselves by insisting on the evidence of their own eyes and reporting adverse events. Saving themselves will do more to save their patients than anything else could.
I never knew Rxisk.org existed before my own adverse effect on my prescribed drug. It has been a complete shock to discover the attitude seemingly shown by drug companies regarding what is a huge responsibility on their part towards the general public.
I thought it was a matter of course that one would report a drug if it malfunctioned in the patient and that it would be carefully researched- Well what an eye opener to the world of the drug industry.
Rxisk.org should be far more known to the world and I hope Rxisk.org has an opportunity to become a household name.
I’ve had a similar experience.
Like most other posters, I’ve just found your website and I’m so very scared. I have a PCM, a GYN and a Pain Management Doctor. I give them the list of meds that I am taking, and I use a mail order pharmacy and a local pharmacy mainly for my Pain meds. Maintenance meds go to mail order, this is mandated by my insurance. After entering my medications into your drug interactions profile, I can say WITHOUT a doubt, I am frightened, due to the results that came back…What should I do??
I am so glad to see Rxisk operate!
I am not aware of anything like this that has ever been done before.
I am sure it will have a positive impact for doctors and patients.
I worked as an RN mostly in emergency room’s and ICUs for almost 30 years.
For those of you, doctors nurses and pharmacists especially, who have made a serious study of allopathic medicine I have only this to say:
You have made a serious and very dangerous mistake.
Closely observing people who took allopathic medicines (usually the ones I gave them)
I noticed a number of things, and after 20 years… Could no longer deny.
1- most Allopathic medicines do not work very well, or they don’t work at all.
(when I started nursing, some of the stronger antibiotics still worked… And no one died from asthma)
2- no psychiatric meds that I have given have ever helped anyone’s psychiatric problem.
3- out right problems and “side effects” arise immediately for almost everyone who is given an allopathic medicine. (these range from skin flushing to sudden-death)
4- Allopathic trauma care and microsurgery are awesome, and definitely valuable.
(never allow anyone to stay in the ICU for more than 72 hours)
This is my personal experience… Your mileage may vary.
If you would like to know what I have discovered that does work… You may email me at:
HerbNurse@gmx.com
The best of luck to you, keep up the good work!
Rxisk is the best thing I have seen happen in allopathic medicine!!
Warmest regards,
HerbNurse