It is scandalous that ghostwritten papers that mimic well-researched science manage to get published in reputed medical journals. The effect is to mislead doctors by playing down the harmful effects of the drug and encouraging them to prescribe it to more patients. What is shocking is the willingness of researchers of repute to lend their names to the ghostwritten papers. Since the number of newly discovered molecules is very small, pharmaceutical companies sometimes feel obliged to make the most out of commercially available drugs. This is believed to be a major factor behind medical ghostwriting. One way to counter this is to punish the researchers who collude in such sharp practices. Unlike in the case of data manipulation and science fraud, universities have not shown much inclination to crack the whip against academics who lend their names to the ghostwritten papers. Where even the U.S. government failed, a group of medical journal editors succeeded in bringing about more transparency and accountability in the way clinical trials are conducted - by obliging drug companies to register trials prior to enrolling the first volunteer. They have also achieved a measure of success in obliging authors to disclose any conflict of interest. Conscientious journal editors and publishers have a big responsibility to ensure that unscrupulous sections of the pharmaceutical industry do not use their journals to mislead the scientific community and cause injury to the public.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/01/stories/2009090156020800.htm

An Appeal to all Homeopaths

Dear Homoeopath,

Every time allopaths criticize homoeopaths and homoeopathy based on some article/research paper published in some journal or the other. But homoeopathy never perishes with such things. It survives and flourishes due to its intrinsic merits. Homoeopaths are so magnanimous about such slanderous remarks. The young generation of homoeopaths should not keep quite and silently tolerates such undeserving things. We have to pay them in the same coin. We have to expose the dark side of allopathy and allopaths. Then only they will be careful in future. Criticism is always like a homing pigeon. If they criticize homoeopathy we should also tell them in the same language.

Here is an editorial on nefarious practices of allopaths and unethical activities of pharma industry. Let us raise our voice against such things in allopathy. Let us also campaign against adverse drug reactions, unwanted surgeries, ghost writing, concocted clinical trials and all other inhuman things committed by allopathic pharma industry.

Please go though the editorial and give feedback on it.