psychiatrists are ''in the pocket'' of drugs companies

antrim | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis

Thursday September 11, 2003 18:04

by sean fleming

The control held by the psychiatric drug industry is a major threat to people who suffer mental distress in our society today. Ireland today is a base for many psychiatric pharmaceutical companies.

Further proof of the psychiatric drug industry’s dominance of the 'mental health' field has been revealed today when the Inspector of Mental Hospitals in the Republic of Ireland, Dr Dermot Walsh ,made his criticisms in his annual report for 2002. He said that Irish psychiatrists are spending too much time enjoying lavish overseas trips organised by drugs companies. This was not surprisingly rejected by the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. The undue influence held by the psychiatric drug industry was portrayed when Mr Walsh said there was: ''unscientific material aimed at influencing prescribing practice''.

The control held by the psychiatric drug industry is a major threat to people who suffer mental distress in our society today. Ireland has proved an attractive base for pharmaceutical companies and they are among the biggest companies operating in Ireland. The profitably of the industry is reflected in the amount of corporate tax paid to the Government of Ireland in the last two years, over $250 million. Many of these companies produce neuroleptic drugs which are known to cause devastating effects and neurological disorders in many patients receiving these psychiatric drugs, the worst of which is tardive dyskinesia. Many of the largest producers of killer psychiatric drugs are based in Ireland. Janssen Pharmaceutical Products is the maker of risperidone, a frequently prescribed atypical 'anti-psychotic'. Novartis make the neuroleptic Clozaril/Clozapine. Lundbeck are makers of Depixol and Clopixol and specialists in total pharmacological social control. Merck’s goal is to discover new drugs for ''psychiatric diseases'' which can be administered in injectable form - ‘ideal’ of course in community treatment orders. We needn’t expect the Irish Government or the psychiatric profession/industry to voice concern in any of this. There is a lucrative industry , profession and jobs to protect .