Not having to disclose the CME teachings is really leaving the door wide open---I don't see much of a positive in this? Some of those CME classes are held on cruise ships--who cares about free lunches at this point it seems the wheels are spinning in mud. Muddy unethical waters, same as usual.

It is great news that physicians' gifts are being limited but there are also other elements to be taken into consideration.

I think one of the things we tend to forget is that physicians are being harmed by these drugs, too, especially the SSRI antidepressants.

www.SSRIstories.com has over 20 cases of physicians who were severly harmed by these drugs.

In regard to 'Bizarre Behavior', one of the cases on SSRI Stories involves a pediatric physician on antidepressants who vanished twice and had authorities searching for him. The first time he disappeared he left a note that he had been kidnapped. He was found at a San Diego park locked in the trunk of his car. He admitted to the police that he had fabricated the abduction. The second time he vanished, his car was found in a park in Pennsylvania. Inside his car was an enigmatic note, which he left for himself that read, “Stay alert! Their relentless pursuit requires your constant vigilance!” Police believe he is playing some kind of cat-and-mouse kind for no apparent reason.

Here is this case: http://www.ssristories.com/show.php?item=231

It's not only in America. It's global. In Brazil it's the same. They receive to prescribe the drug X. I don't know if the money goes straight to their bank accounts or if they have to sign any invoice...
They receive to go to congresses wither they speak or not; ghostwritting; writing books - even "patients" have already published books telling their bipolar or depressed problem and how the drug X has saved their lives...
I would love to see the talking:

"-Dr. X, we would be pleased if you could attend our congress on Noxzeql. As it's a hard work remebering all the data we have on this drug and that's why we are thinking about paying you $ xx.000,000."

"-But hotel..."

"-Of course! We'll support all expenses. It's a real hard work and as a recognition we are thinking about changing your car. Yours is last years! Too old."

"-My house needs some repair...

"-Don't bother Dr. X. We don't want you to be upset for the congress. So we will take care of it too."

Iak!

The vast majority of psychiatrists have a wonderful car.
Psychoanalysts don't. Some don't even have a car. they go by bus or taxi.

Could be that psychoanalysts ride bikes even. All I know is that they do not know how to do differential diagnosis for major mental illness. When my son had his first episode, I sent him to the wrong hospital in Philadelphia and schizophrenia was diagnosed. He was fated to bounce in and out of the hospital for three years on the old Haldol, Stelazine, etc., routine until I found a competent doctor who admitted him to another hospital, took him off all drugs, watched the results, TOOK A HISTORY, and rediagnosed him. Lithium did the trick, more or less, for twelve years, until he got in the clutches of Maryland Medicaid and Zyprexa.

The rest is history.

I think psychoanalysis is good for wealthy New Yorkers like Woody Allen.

Sorrowful, I am sorry your son had to go through this.

I just went through a nightmare with Haldol and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I've been on Lithium for pretty much 20 years and have had only the occasional hiccup with it.

I've just about exhausted pdocs in NJ, and am currently looking at docs in NYC, Philly, Baltimore, and DC. If this keeps up I;ll soon be looking for a good pdoc in the North Pole.

Take care.

Sorrowful,
I'm talking about Brazilian psychoanalysts. I don't know or hear anything about psychoanalysis in US and what i've been reading about psychologists it's a total mess.
You're right that neurotic people are more likely to respond to psychoanalysis. But some people works with other tools and can also help psychosis specially in depressed times.
But I don't think that the stereotyped way of looking treatments that movies and TV convey are of great help. If so many psychiatrists would be able to help loads of people.
The price varies for each person. It's not like psychiatry that charges the same for no matter what income a person have.
I'm very sorry for your problems.

Woody Allen is a good example of what psychoanalysis is NOT.

about the free lunches, and this may be less of an issue on a doctors salary: when i worked for a mental health center the whole nonprofit would get invited to listen to lectures by a drug company over a lavish lunch at the most expensive restaurant in the city. and boy we'd get decked out--it was an event!

Jesus!
Today it was a roller coaster of emotions on mental health issue for me.
Now I'm sad.
I wrote a post on Candance Downing and her parents were interviewed by CBS.
They are prosecuting the psychiatrist who received money from Pfizer to talk about Zoloft, the drug that Candance, a 12 years old girl was taking when she hanged herself.
One of the millions of things I don't understand, is why these children hang themselves?
It's too sad.
All I've read today is too sad.
It will go away but now I'm sad.

Susan, I'm just about out of pdocs in my area and several miles away here in NJ, too. Good luck.

My company, OrderCorner specializes in helping the pharma companies monitor and track their spend on doctors breakfast and lunches. It also enables the drug reps to get out of the catering business and focus on their core mission.The service saves the reps a significant amount of time and hassle enabling them to be much more productive. Finally it is a win for the recipients of the food as they get access to a wide variety of cuisine types. Check it out on at www.ordercorner.com. We are nationwide and work with reps from virtually every major pharma company because they love it!