They're still up.

I'm humbled. Thank you very much

Fid

I agree with this one for sure! I've been reading the Fiddy Rants on Alli, unbelievable kick ass writing!

They dont need to advertise it i was recently perscribed and took aropax for what turned out to be a heart problem. My racing pulse and palpitations were panic attack you see. This is after repeatedly telling the doctor that i didnt feel depressed or anxious and that i didnt like the idea of taking antideppresents. When i told him this he asked me if i thought he was an idiot. Speaks for itself dosnt it. Funny thing is after two day of taking them i was feeling anxious but that apparently a side effect. A drug that treats a symptom with a sympton .great

In 1999, my daughter's friend who was 11 years old, and already dx ADHD and on Ritalin, was prescribed Paxil for "social anxiety", and he then attempted to jump off of a cliff. After that, Depakote and Childhood Bipolar dx was added to the mix.

New Zealand along with USA are the only Westen Counties that let Adverts in media-papers-on-line-TV-For drugs.
Hell we’re not even addressing the side effects of Anti Psychotics yet -I saw the show on AD"s-
NZ stats--

1 million scrips for Anti-Depressants each year

$50 million on Anti-Psychotics --

We R following USA re-Bi-Polor--druging kids--and over druging the whole Pop-

NZ has just under 4 million ppls

Fiddy the ass Kicker! :)

Good on ya Fid!

Hey - I've known Fidd as a mate for over 40 years... Bob I'm proud of you, well done mate.

Jan x

Unfortunately, I think you will find that naming drugs in advertisements on websites has been legal in Australia since we negotiated the US Free Trade Agreement (boo hiss!) It was done prior to that as well, because the regulations were written before the advent of the internet.

Fine and dandy anon---but birth defects,withdrawals,wicked side effects, suicidal ideation and brain damage are the problem here. Start with birth defects, and go from there.

Good on Fiddy for having a go, but he'll need all of Bruce Lee's skill and more.

In Australia, we have put Dracula in charge of the blood-bank when it comes to the practicalities of the regulation of prescription drug advertising. Medicines Australia, the industry association, is allowed to "self-regulate". It has a Code of Conduct which is reviewed at intervals by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and a mechanism for reviewing complaints and applying pretty paltry sanctions.

Recently, reference to web-sites was added to the Code, and the FAQs on Medicines Australia's site state this:
---------------------------
INTERNET
Can a pharmaceutical company provide information on the Internet about prescription medicines?

Companies may provide medically and scientifically valid information about medicines on websites, however the information must not promote prescription medicines to the general public.

A brief non-promotional summary of a company’s medicines available in Australia can be included on a company website.

Companies may provide information to patients already prescribed a prescription medicine via a password protected website.

Companies may provide information intended for healthcare professionals via the Internet, however if this information should be via password protected website.

For further information please refer to Sections 3 (healthcare professionals) and 9 (general public) of the Code.
--------------------
The URL for the Code is:
http://www.medicinesaustralia.com.au/pages/page16.asp

For info re making a complaint:
http://www.medicinesaustralia.com.au/pages/page17.asp#anchor8

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) are the equivolent of the MHRA and the FDA.

They claim:

We do not have any regulatory control over sponsorship arrangements by drug companies provided individual products are not promoted.

I think you will find that Aropax promotion falls into this category

Fid

HI yas--You dont have direct TV adverts for drugs in Aus do you-?-

Ya can track the drug use increse since we started this in NZ-

CDHB-I would love too peek at their stats-We are not told about yearly Suicide rates-they think it may trigger young ppls 2 suicide-we get told very little-suicide rates really high again- swap over from Hos too Community works

-Yeah Right-

Suicide rate up-up-up-I even phoned member of Goverment about it-is nuts-so much is nuts here

Re-ppls who run Mental Health places-they apair NOT too give a shit about side-effects of meds-people they are meant 2 care 4-The Care-Givers as they call them-more like they Police ppls not inpower them-Its just a Gravy Train-

-Love your blog-thanks--xoxoxo

Its just a Gravy Train--

http://www.delphicentre.com.au/conference/sponsors.htm

Its still there.

"Special Event Sponsor"

then GSK's logo, then

"Welcome Reception - GlaxoSmithKline Australia"

and further down the page
the GSK logo again.

From what I have read, Melbourne Australia has one of the most powerful influences on the early development through to the current promotion of antidepressants worldwide and, if that is correct, then it would be a simplistic view to believe that the Australian conference circuit is vulnerable and easily persuaded.

Reading material referred to: The Australian Influence on Global Antidepressant Development and Presciption Rates

If there is a problem with the url above which seems to be the case at the moment, it can be accessed by posting the following into the address bar direct:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/281849/message/1150898976/Australia-++GRAHAM+BURROWS+-+Helped+give+the+World+Psych+Drugs---