BENZO REPORTS 2011: CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
Related story on National Addiction Centre and National Treatment Agency reports on Addiction to Medicine. Professor John Strang was lead author of the NAC report.
Parliamentary question by Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what interests were declared by each author of the recently published National Addiction Centre report on addiction to prescribed medicine. [64022]
Anne Milton: “All academic research is bound by strict codes of conduct such as the Research Councils UK policy and code of conduct on the governance of good research conduct and the UK Research Integrity Office code of conduct for research (Hansard 5 July 2011, col 1186W).
“The National Addictions Centre is part of Kings College London and as such is bound by the college's commitment to maintaining the highest possible standards of integrity and probity in the conduct of academic research. This includes a specific requirement for all possible conflicts of interest to be declared within any tender for externally commissioned work. The authors of the report published by the National Addiction Centre declared no conflicts of interest in their tender for the work commissioned by the Department.”
HOWEVER...
Before reading further, please note:
Genus Pharmaceuticals manufactures Lorazepam, one of the most addictive benzodiazepines, and the same product which brutalised the lives of the Beat the Benzos and APPGITA campaigners.
(Of interest on other issues of overprescribing is that Auralis manufactures diamorphine - ie, heroin, such as used in the Riott trials - and Martindale Pharma is the leading UK supplier of methadone).
“John Strang has received research grant support and/or payment in the form of honoraria, consultancy payments and travel expenses from several pharmaceutical companies that develop new medicines for use in the addiction treatment field (i.e.Genus Pharmaceuticals formerly Britannia, Auralis Pharmaceuticals, Reckitt Benckiser, Schering- Plough, Napp Pharmaceuticals, Martindale/Cardinal and Catalent, Titan and Lanacher Pharmaceuticals)” (Drug Policy & The Public Good, page 1144).
“John Strang has provided consultancy advice to Britannia/Genus, Auralis, and Martindale Pharmaceuticals; JS and JS’s institution have received support and funding from the Department of Health (England) and National Treatment Agency (England)” (Supervised injectable heroin or injectable methadone... page 1894).
The Independent newspaper has picked up this story and provided more details. Go to:
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/professor-who-wrote-coalition-health-policy-was-paid-by-drugs-firm-2325928.html
Posted by: Addiction Today | July 26, 2011 at 09:26 AM
my son was prescibed lorazepam amomngst other drugs recently , they have ruiend his life , hes 18 and has autism and recently diagnosed severe PTSD , i am now seeking legal advice this drug should be discontinued if you would like more information i dont mind i need all the help i can get at the minute ( a very angrymother /carer of a disabled adult )
Posted by: mrs swift | August 22, 2011 at 12:49 AM