Inverse Benefits Due to Drug Marketing Undermine Patient Safety and Public Health, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (2011-01-13) -- Drugs that pharmaceutical companies market most aggressively to physicians and patients tend to offer less benefit and more harm to most patients -- a phenomenon described as the "inverse benefit law," according to new research.

Study: Drug Firms Fund Health Advocacy Groups - ChicagoTribune.com

By Judith Graham

Many health advocacy organizations rely on financial support from drug companies. But few disclose the extent of that funding or make information easily accessible, according to a new report published Thursday by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The groups often sit on important federal advisory boards and press lawmakers for greater funding for medical research, more generous reimbursement for brand-name drugs, and easy access to diagnostic tests and medical devices for people afflicted by various illnesses.
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