NAMI propaganda had the NERVE to be laying all about at the FDA Seroquel Hearing today. Although the conflict-of-interest lady on the panel didn't have the guts to show up...or her boss told her not to.

Another disgusto of the day.

A RICO suit may look good on NAMI.

man-o-man. i am glad i posted my recently developed views on nami before all this emerged, so i don't look like i am just jumping on the bandwagon. the top of nami has just really gone of the deep end for the pharma money and the 'brain disease' line. sad- rank and file are sal-of-the-earth. and will be out there hoofing it yet again to raise funds the old-fashioned way - and again i will probably give $10 to each friend, colleague, and associate who sends a request to me for namiwalks.

It's not the industry financial support of NAMI that troubles me. I am more concerned that NAMI, its affiliates, and its local members (me among them) were subjected to the same industry disinformation campaign tactics that you have helped bring to light.

--pk---

A while back when people inquired about funding from pharmaceutical companies on their blog they didn't want to talk about it. Transparency my ass.

I also find it interesting that NAMI didn't send this email to all members. The silence from the executives to the rank-and-file is profound.

Ironically and after it hit the papers, NAMI did publish excerpts of an article describing the death of my child from Zyprexa. What?

When I contacted the then-medical director of NAMI later to suggest that he update the info. on their site about Zyprexa, he stated he was busy updating everything. Right.

When I spoke by phone with the Exec. Dr. at the time I had lost my child begging them to inform their membership, they were exceedingly polite, and then of course did nothing but that website post awhile later. Please.

Finally, when I once have a huffiness-filled phonecall with a NAMI person, she declared that their funding was only x per cent from Pharm. The rest I guess was from all the NAMIWALKs and bake sales by families; the foot soldiers, who are in the dark and unenlightened about the organization. I don't judge them. I once was one of them as well.

I am a NAMI volunteer and all of this comment is solely my responsibility and opinion. I am present teaching a course called family to family which is partially sponsored by Squibb. After 8 weeks of teaching this course (for the forth time), I asked all 22 students "How many of you know the name of the pharmaceutical company that helps underwrite this course?" Answer, not one person knew. Then I asked the second question: Name drugs manufactured by Squibb?" No one knew of any with surety, although there were a few guesses.
The bottom line is, from where I am where the rubber meets the road, there is no sign of drug companies trying to influence consumer buying habits. Trying to obtain funding for a non-profit like NAMI is a daunting task. Ever since the cutbacks in funding for hospitals and treatments for our loved ones, we have had to scramble for every nickel. From my perspective, I have seen no influences of any kind by drug companies at the grassroots level. I personally am grateful that we received funding from such companies.

Respectfully,

Charles Lambert

Dear Mr. Lambert,
And you see nothing wrong with teaching a class sponsored by a drug company *without* informing the participants of your connection? You can't see the conflict of interest in Squibb sponsorship of an organization of people interested in mental health issues?

I am absolutely gobsmacked that you do not see that your little anecdote is a perfect illustration of what we're all talking about here. This sort of covert sponsorship is precisely what Sen. Grassley and others are going after these companies for. And you are a participant in all this.

I'm really quite stunned that you think keeping secrets from your class members is a good thing. It's not.

Mr. Lambert, I'm just curious what the course teaches about medication.

one of these things is not like the others:

"a course called family to family"

"consumer buying habits"

Respectfully,

wondering when y'all will get your constituency straight, and why we never hear a peep from your denoted

"...loved one"....

In response to comments made about my previous entry:
During the very first lesson, we tell all participants who we receive funding and donations from. After that it is never mentioned. As to what Family -2 - Family is, I would suggest you go to NAMI.Org, click on your state and talk with a local volunteer.
Unfortunately it would appear that your mind is already made up that there is colusion between NAMI and Drug Companies.
As a parent of a mentally ill daughter who again tried to take her life (hence the delay in responding), I hope you never have to suffer this pain and then have people accuse you of being a "shill" for a drug company as you try to keep a family together.

Charles Lambert