Healthy Skepticism Soapbox
How Healthy Skepticism can help you
General
Information Resource
AdWatch
Up-to-date compilation of News Media articles from around the world
Improve your Understanding of Pharmaceutical Industry Influence
Assistance to Journalists
Assistance to Authors/Film Makers
Joint Projects
GENERAL
Information Resource
The Healthy Skepticism website has an extensive library of interest to anyone concerned with the subject of Pharmaceutical Advertising and the effects it has on patterns of Prescribing and Medication Usage. These articles mainly focus on the problems which arise from the advertising of drugs by pharmaceutical companies to the Medical Profession. Some articles are also concerned with problems arising from pharmaceutical advertising direct to the public. i.e. Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA).
Other articles deal with general health/pharmaceutical policy/cost issues and the politics of the pharmaceutical industry in different countries.
We are particularly interested in how the widespread practice of the acceptance by doctors of gifts from pharmaceutical companies influences prescribing behaviour.
Healthy Skepticism members have been active in contributing to the public and professional debate on these issues and relevant published articles by Healthy Skepticism members are listed in the library.
We are also interested in wider health policy issues (particularly in relation to government policies on pharmaceuticals) and some library articles are concerned with this subject.
AdWatch
Each AdWatch edition is an analysis of and commentary on the content of a particular recent Pharmaceutical Advertisement which has been published in a medical journal or medical magazine. To avoid possible bias against any particular company, the advertisements are chosen at random from a bunch of commonly read journals.
AdWatch is designed to provide you with insight into how advertising of pharmaceuticals to doctors provides a dis-service to the community by presenting emotionally loaded factual distortions and half-truths to the medical profession leading to inappropriate prescribing of medications. This problem is particularly serious, as after graduation, such advertisements, coupled with equally mischievous visits from gift-bearing pharmaceutical reps are often the main source of ‘information’ about new drugs to which doctors are exposed.
Up-to-date compilation of News Media articles from around the world
We collect relevant published News items and Press Releases from around the world and publish them, with commentaries, under In the News Media. This provides easy access to anyone wishing to find out what has been going on in the public arena in the last 3 months.
Improve Your Understanding of Pharmaceutical Industry Influence
We can help you to gain a better understanding of how the pharmaceutical industry influences-
- doctors
- pharmacists
- medical students
- academics
- researchers
- governments
- consumer groups
- journalists
Assistance to Journalists
Healthy Skepticism management members are willing to assist journalists who are researching stories in relation to the pharmaceutical industry. We have considerable accumulated expertise in this area ourselves and connections with other organisations are valuable to journalists.
We can usually provide interviews for print or broadcast media on a relevant topic.
Joint Projects
Healthy Skepticism is interested in joining with other like-minded organisations for the development of permanent or transient joint projects. We are a knowledge rich but time poor voluntary organisation which can form mutually beneficial relationships with other organisations which have time and money but need academic help!
Ability to present Articles, Commentaries or Images for Publication on this Website
Members have an open invitation to present their opinions and ideas both to the Healthy Skepticism Management Committee Members (see under Contact Us) and to the Webmaster with a view to publication on this Website.
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