There is discussion that the catchall category “behavioral addiction” be included in the DSM. This category would cover addictions to sex, shopping and using the internet. These are very real addictions that are placed under a general catchall category to possibly hide another motive.

By providing a catchall for behavioral addiction, the stage is set for big pharma to start creating new addictions for which their medications would treat. Now I have no problem with people making money, however this constant scaremongering is, in my opinion, unethical.

Telling the public that they are constantly in danger or negligent because they are not doing something is just plain wrong.

What do you think about adding a catchall category to the definition of addiction?

Addiction Diagnoses May Rise Under Guideline Changes

The Supreme Court recently ruled that injured people CANNOT sue generic drug manufacturers. A change in the FDA’s policy can help reverse this decision.

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The article is entitled “Critical Analysis of Scientific Data: Introduction to Funder Bias” and is available online here.

Stay tuned for more!

House to begin debate on malpractice reform legislation | NOLA.com.

Source: New York Times, Generic Drugs Prove Resistant to Damage Claims

More MarkSadaka.com Resources:
Why protecting Big Pharma from lawsuits is a bad idea

Top Five News For The Week Ending March 2, 2012

• Enterprise pressured not to rent vehicles under recall. You can rent a car today that is under a safety recall and not know it.

• FDA Releases Industry Guidance Asking Drugmakers To Explain Delays In Adverse Event Reporting. Drugmakers unable to report timely post-market adverse events during a flu outbreak should notify the FDA and have documents ready explaining the reasons for the delays, the agency says.

• Judge blocks FDA requirement for graphic tobacco warning labels. A judge on Wednesday blocked a federal requirement that would have begun forcing U.S. tobacco companies to put large graphic images on their cigarette packages later this year to show the dangers of smoking and encouraging smokers to quit lighting up.

• New Birth Control Pill Recall. Seven lots of generic birth control pills have been recalled by Glenmark. It’s the second recall of birth control pills in one month. The new recall is not linked to the previous recall of Pfizer birth control pills.

• Safety Alerts Cite Cholesterol Drugs’ Side Effects. Federal health officials on Tuesday added new safety alerts to the prescribing information for statins, the cholesterol-reducing medications that are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, citing rare risks of memory loss, diabetes and muscle pain.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Beth Israel abused a system of “outlier payments” that lets hospitals bill Medicare — the healthcare system for the elderly — at higher rates for cases that might look routine on paper, but in fact are more complicated and expensive than usual. The criminal complaint suggests this billing practice wasn’t for outliers at all, but was a normal practice at the Manhattan-based hospital between 1998 and 2003.

Source: Feds Dock Beth Israel $13M for ‘Turbocharging’ Medicare (WNYC News)

Medicare is health insurance provided by the federal government for people 65 or older and people under 65 with certain disabilities. Because people on Medicare are usually on a fixed income or dealing with complicated health issues they are vulnerable to misrepresentation and fraud.

Medicare fraud is simply billing for medical procedures or supplies that were never performed or received. Medicare fraud costs U.S. taxpayers a lot of money each year. We all pay for fraud with higher health care costs and higher taxes. People who receive Medicare can help.

People who are on Medicare receive a statement that shows what you were charged for health care services, medical supplies, or equipment. Reviewing this statement and reporting inaccuracies will help control Medicare’s loss from fraudulent claims.

It’s up to the American people to help control Medicare fraud.